Go “Back to School” with TechnoServe
Discover how entrepreneurs are changing the world after pursuing continuous learning and economic growth through innovative education programs.
How entrepreneurs are changing the world after access to education
As August winds down, many students are picking up their pencils, packing a lunch, and heading back to school. Education is an open door to greater opportunities, regardless of your age.
For TechnoServe’s clients, pursuing more education has meant higher incomes and more job opportunities. These farmers, entrepreneurs, and small business owners receive the tools to improve their productivity, build sustainable businesses, and access new markets. After pursuing additional education, most clients can increase their income and contribute to the economic growth of their communities.
Meet three clients who have chosen to go “back to school” to pursue a better life. Each story illustrates how entrepreneurs are changing the world.
A Current Student Hopes for the Future
Oralia Vicenta Velasquez Cobon, a coffee farmer from Huehuetenago, Guatemala, is not one to pass up the opportunity to learn something new—especially when it will provide a better life. She has a lot of responsibility: managing a coffee farm, running her sales from her home, and keeping up with her housework. On top of that, she cares for her young granddaughter, who lives with her.
Oralia makes her livelihood in a country dominated by an attitude of machismo, where only 40% of women participate in the labor force, compared to 80% of men. With such significant gender inequality, providing knowledge to women business owners is the leg-up they need to be successful.
An Opportunity to Grow
That’s why Oralia jumped at the chance to join the Empowered Families, Prosperous Communities Project, part of Nespresso’s AAA Sustainable Quality Program that is implemented by TechnoServe and funded by Nespresso. She wanted to acquire more knowledge to improve her family’s quality of life. Oralia is participating with 15 other smallholder farms represented in this year’s program, which wraps up in October.
The program emphasizes empowering women coffee producers both economically and socially. It provides women with leadership training, tools to build entrepreneurial skills, and strategies to navigate challenges due to gender inequality. The program also works with women and men to change perceptions around gender equality.
Data from previous cohorts shows that at the beginning of the program, an average of 83% of women participants and 86% of male participants believed women should be treated equally to men. By the end of the program, this percentage rose to 99% of women and 100% of men. This change in attitude and new entrepreneurial skills will strengthen the confidence and capacity of Oralia and her fellow women farmers.
With her determined attitude and creative ideas, Oralia will likely be one of many women who have used education to change their lives. She says she plans to apply what she has learned to have self-confidence, improve herself as an entrepreneur, and generate more income.
A Recent Graduate Enjoys Growing Success
Dan Oloo, an entrepreneur in Kisumu County, Kenya, believed owning a successful shop could change his family’s life. However, his lack of business knowledge kept success just out of reach. In 2021, he partnered with his cousin to start a shop, but the business only lasted five months.
Dan remained resilient, turning to menial jobs to save up for another try. In 2022, he opened a new shop but still needed record-keeping, merchandising, and debt-management skills to make significant progress. He persevered, adding new products to his inventory to produce more sales. Even with his short-term success, Dan recognized that business training would lead to greater success in the long run.
A Life-Changing Discovery
When Dan discovered TechnoServe’s Smart Duka program earlier this year, he breathed a sigh of relief.
“When a mobilizer explained the program to me, I didn’t hesitate,” Dan explained. “It was exactly what I had been yearning for. I enrolled in the online program, which was effective as I could train at my convenience in the shop.”
The program uses digital platforms to offer flexible training modules in merchandising, bookkeeping, saving, and other skills to strengthen entrepreneurs. It included visits from a business counselor, which motivated Dan to persevere despite economic challenges.
In the months since his training ended, Dan has achieved short-term investment goals through healthy savings from his business, including paying school fees for his children and completing a permanent house for his parents. Now, Dan is focusing on long-term investment plans, including expanding his business and creating a better savings plan for his children’s education.
“I’m happy. My family lives well, my kids are in school, and my parents live comfortably in a good house. All credit goes to my shop,” he beamed.
A Successful Alumnus Empowers Others
Gabriel Flores was born to cook. Seven years ago, the San Salvador native and his business partner, Miguel Alvergue, began selling pizzas from Miguel’s garage. Word spread, and the pizzas began selling fast, leading the duo to start a full-service restaurant with one other employee. Though Gabriel and Miguel had all of the technical skills to create recipes and run a kitchen, Gabriel realized that it would take much more for their restaurant to succeed.
“I knew we had a good product, but I didn’t know how to grow,” Gabriel explained. “Maybe I could see the weak spots, but I didn’t know how to grow and organize. So, I was looking to learn things like management and finance.”
A friend recommended that Gabriel sign up for TechnoServe’s CRECE Tu Empresa, a youth entrepreneurship program, and Gabriel decided to go for it. He paid a small tuition fee—an investment to encourage participants to take ownership of their education. In group classes, Gabriel learned how to formalize their business by recording sales, tracking inventory, paying bills, and managing staff. He also worked one-on-one with a business advisor who helped him assess opportunities to scale. Gabriel used his new knowledge to build a restaurant based not only on delicious pizza but also on a solid business plan.
Empowering Others
Six years after training with TechnoServe, Gabriel’s restaurant is unrecognizable from the garage where it started. Gabriel and Miguel have created 14 new jobs, operate across two locations, and produce 200 pizzas daily. They have created a better work environment than most restaurants in El Salvador, by limiting the length of shifts, paying higher wages, and giving employees opportunities to grow. By going “back to school,” Gabriel gained the knowledge to build his business and paved the way for others to share in his success.
Back to School for a Brighter Future
As we transition into the “back to school” season, stories like those of Oralia, Dan, and Gabriel remind us that learning is a lifelong journey that can open doors to new opportunities and brighter futures. Through TechnoServe’s training programs, individuals from diverse backgrounds are gaining the skills they need to transform their lives and communities.
Whether it’s a coffee farmer in Guatemala, an entrepreneur in Kenya, or a restaurateur in El Salvador, the power of education is evident in their successes. By choosing to go “back to school,” these determined individuals are not just improving their lives— they are exemplifying how entrepreneurs are changing the world. They are driving positive change that will ripple through generations.
Join TechnoServe in empowering more people to create lasting change. Visit our website to learn how you can support these life-changing programs or get involved yourself. Together, we can unlock the potential of education to build stronger communities and brighter futures for all.
