Suruacá Entrepreneur Group

Entrepreneur Group

When Salu Assunção decided to raise chickens, he didn't anticipate that animals would break in, kill his chickens and halt his progress. Magarete Lima didn't foresee competition when she opened a bakery. Now two other bakers serve a community of 100 people. Obstacles such as these are inevitable when trying to sell products in developing markets, and residents often face unforeseen challenges they must tackle on their own.

The Suruacá Entrepreneur Project helps participants from the cCLEAR Pilot Project, as well as other entrepreneurs in the Brazilian Amazon, to establish an entrepreneur group that offers advice and encouragement to aspiring entrepreneurs in the community. The project also supports the efforts of local community leader and entrepreneur Djalma Lima to assist his fellow residents. Through personal projects, residents are learning to better manage resources and strengthen essential skills in order to produce and sell products, increase their family incomes and become more self-sufficient.

The goals of the Suruacá Entrepreneur Project are to:

Create a forum where participants give moral support, motivate each other, and share advice. Members are encouraged to work together and incorporate others' abilities and skills into their own projects. Participants are responsible for their own projects and do not depend on CEN for direct contributions.
Help participants transition from the cCLEAR Pilot Project to selling their products in local markets. This group will not only put into practice the problem-solving skills established through the cCLEAR Pilot Project, but they will also motivate each other to complete their projects.
Build markets for products produced by the participants.