Beyond promoting community-based action and trying to confront the problem
of unemployment, we have set up four small mini-enterprises. These are
formed around the idea of creating jobs above all for the parents of the
children that the Foundation helps, and for their families and the community
as a whole. Our aim is to restore, through working and a salary, the
self-respect that they had previously lost.

Through this project we try to assist social integration and community
spirit by way of job creation, so that the youngsters' parents might be able
to give new significance to their lives and to create an environment which
prevents the isolation of those families who live in precarious situations
from a socio-economic and health viewpoint.

The development of these mini-enterprises arises from activities taking
place in partnership between Foundation staff (via their projects) and
members of the families concerned. Whether it is the material assets
(machines for making nappies, finishing machines, packers, looms, sewing
machines etc) or the working capital, everything is provided by the
Foundation with an initial exactly calculated budget, which is detailed to
everybody concerned with the project. The factories have to fulfil a monthly
quota which will contribute to repaying the initial investment, and will
also help contribute towards undertaking new initiatives.

We are looking for alternative possibilities using different methods so that
we are able to put together four of the following:

1. A disposable nappy factory
2. A factory producing dusters, dishcloths and kitchen sponges.
3. A needlework laboratory: towels and napkins for hotels and hotels
4. A bakery: oven-baked products for restaurants and bars
5. Organic fruit and vegetable cultivation.

ACTIVITIES:

For the development of these selected mini-enterprises, we have begun to put
together a residence situated a few hundred meters from the region in which
most of the involved families live. In this residence we intend to implement
the activities: each independent from the others, and each in the
environment that it requires. This organisation of space will allow us to
centralise the storage and distribution of the goods produced, so as to make
it easier to control the business.

The construction and improvement works are carried out by the same people as
are involved in the project, as indeed are the cleaning and maintenance
duties within the existing buildings.

An immediate requirement for the successful function of these
mini-enterprises is that we need to develop an adequate infrastructure to
sell the goods that we produce. As a result we have contracted Marketing and
Sales specialists who help us, on a voluntary basis, to work out appropriate
commercial strategies and help us to select and train individuals and
families who would be best suited to such specific work. As an initial
measure we have registered the brand name of the Foundation with the local
Chamber of Commerce. This undertaking points in the direction of presenting
all our products under one name: the name of the PUPI Foundation.

Project Under Construction

The combination of these enterprises, at full strength, will give work not
only to 40-50 people coming from the families that we are helping, but also
the project co-ordinators and PUPI foundation staff. This number will
obviously increase should one of the enterprises be successful enough to
expand or increase in size.