Akira engages the women
Today we concluded the business development class with Kani, but first not without some practical tools to help the women realize their dreams!
First, Kani spoke about financial accounting and demonstrated and easy, yet effective way, to keep track of earnings, spending and profit (or loss). They walked the women through an example using Kori and the women got a sense of the way money flows in and out of the business. One of the women was incredible at doing math in her head and she was shouting out sums and products while the rest of us were still scratching our heads, trying to understand the equation.
Next, Kani demonstrated how to build a business plan. However, this wasn’t the stuffy business plan that’s 20 pages long and full of technical terms. Instead, the business plan (or “canvas”) was a visual representation of all the factors that one must consider when building a business. It was an accessible tool, and more importantly, by having the pieces laid out visually, the women could see how each piece needed to build off the previous and strengthen the next. They showed the women how there needs to be specification and cohesion in a business, both of which are essential to building a strong foundation.
Katia raises smiles
Time for a small group exercise! Kani split the women up into two groups and created business scenarios that the women had to respond to with the following factors: design, materials, production, costs, and sales avenues to reach their client. Next, Kani changed the client’s desires, showing the women how it is necessary to evolve and changes with the market. What I enjoyed about the exercise is that, outside of the large group, the women were pushed to come up with new ideas. For example, one group decided that higher-end hotels would be a good sales avenue, something that hadn’t been mentioned before.
The class concluded with a discussion about leaders in business and an exercise that demonstrated that, while leaders are essential, a team must still work together to guide each other. At the end, Kani gave each woman a 20 page book of materials from the workshop, including worksheets to use for the planning process.
Pipo gets the wheels turning
Now the emotional part. Of course, as our time drew to an end, no one wanted to leave. The woman stood in a circle and some spoke about what the course meant to them. It was touching to hear how the course opened up their minds, and more importantly, a world of possibility. It gave them something that is priceless in the prison: hope. Their genuine gratitude for their time spent with Kani was met with Kani’s own gratitude for the women’s participation and ways the women inspired them. Yes, it is a cycle, we pull energy and inspiration from each other, just as we each give it back ten-fold.
One woman said, “Myself and two others in the course have been talking about starting a sewing business when we are released. This class helped us organize our plans.” There may have been tears then. There may be tears now. Because this changes something, it shifts something, it moves a boulder aside to clear a path. This is what can happen, when there are possibilities.