From Inmates to Entrepreneurs
Today, twenty residents of the Belize Central Prison proudly received their certificates for having successfully completing the Business Development Training programme. It is a programme rolled out by the Belize Trade and Investment Development Service through its technical units, the Belize Training and Employment Centre and the Small Business Development Centre Belize for the third year. The programme had two components: soft skills and business development skills. The participants were taught how to become entrepreneurs with the aim to explore more viable options upon re-entry into society. News Five’s Hipolito Novelo reports.
Hipolito Novelo, Reporting
Twenty-six inmates of the Belize Central Prison can say today that they are better prepared with more viable options to re-enter society as a productive citizen.
Bruce Harvey
Bruce Harvey, Graduate
“I got great dreams in my life. I want to open a cabinet business but not just cabinets; I want to do different types of works when it comes to house. With this knowledge, it gave me a bigger idea how I want to run my business.”
Bruce Harvey is one of the graduates. He along with the other participants, including a woman, was part of BTEC’s third annual cohort for its Business Development Training programme. The programme which spanned six weeks, was broken down into two components: soft skills and business development skills. The idea is to transform the inmates into entrepreneurs.
Lorraine Montejo
Lorraine Montejo, Business Advisor, SBDC Belize
“As a part of being an entrepreneur it was thought that two of the most important characteristics is having a positive attitude and communicating effectively with your customers. SBDC Belize then went on to facilitate the business development aspect of the program which consisted of six modules. Module one which was entrepreneurship lab allowed participants how to identify entrepreneurship and an entrepreneur. Module two was business module development where the participants got a chance to design their own business module. Module four marketing and sales had the participants designing their own logos for their future businesses. Module five looked at basis book keeping. The last module which was business development gave the participants an opportunity to review all the items that were taught to them.”
Virgilio Murillo
Having been empowered with the knowledge and skills, the inmates are now tasked to seek life beyond the prison walls.
Virgilio Murillo, C.E.O., Kolbe Foundation
“And Harvey is not only determined to do things better, but also to be a better person. Although he is a resident behind the prison walls, his hope is still alive.”
Bruce Harvey
“I know I will make it. I got my goals, vision and I am going for it. The skills, communications skills, people skills; I have that. I realized that with these people’s help, they told me when I go home for me to go to them and they will assist me. I am just waiting for that big to open so I can touch road and see these people. Everyone has dreams. All of us want to become somebody. So don’t let anyone say that because we are here, that this is what we settled. No. This is not us. This is a learning process that we need to go through. So the next time you hear about me, you will hear about my business.”
Hipolito Novelo, News Five.
