Skills training and small business program for HIV positive mothers

On August 19, P.E. David Arell handed over the funds for the
Bakery Training Project at the Life Home Project Foundation.

Skills training and small business program for HIV positive mothers

One of the main difficulties the HIV positive mothers encounter is that it is difficult to find
or maintain employment once the diagnosis is known about in the local community, or if
absences are necessary because of sickness.

From the beginning of the project we have tried not only to offer a home, but also give
the mothers the opportunity to learn new skills and provide an income for themselves
and their children.

Our experience is that the process of being able to develop their
skills and feel useful again dramatically increases the women’s self-esteem and confidence.
At the LHP we have developed for the 2005 two complementary programs to reach the
goals mentioned :

1- The small business program
2- The skill training program

1- Small business program
Many mothers at the Life Home are now well enough to sustain themselves and their sons.
The problem is that they don’t have the small capital needed to begin a small business.
Examples of this are :A laundry, selling food in the market, selling fruit shakes or home
made desserts, etc… We would like to provide them with the little capital needed and an
small start up help ( 3 months expenses )

With these minimal help they can work, support their families and come back to the community.
We evaluate each business proposal with the women and help her to asses her needs to start
up and also to run the business.
The average cost of one business is around 30,000 baht ( 600 euros )

2- Skill training program
Many of the women at the Life Home have no skills to allow them to undertake an adequate
job. Most of them where housewives who didn’t expect to have to survive alone.
With this program, a one year training, when they finish, they are ready to find jobs outside,
or ask for a micro credit to establish themselves , together with other mothers in the project
and earn a living for themselves and their children.
During the training the mothers receive a support salary of 40 euros per month, so they can
sustain themselves, apart of home and food at the LHP during the training period..

The trainings programmed for this year are:
- Western bakery
- Card Painting
- Sewing
- and cloth making

We have the equipment for the sewing courses and the card painting, but we would need
support for the bakery equipment.We have already make an agreement with a well known
bakery in Chiang Mai where we will send 2 persons to become trainers at the Life Home.

Budget for Setting Bakery Training Center
Capacity for 5-10 people

Items	Price in Thai Baht
Gas Oven 2 Tray	14,000
Gas Oven 4 Tray	19,000
Dough Mixer 5 kg.	19,500
Dough Mixer 10 kg.	26,000
Tray Racks w/Wheels 20 Tray	14,000
Cake Mixer 5 L	22,000
Bread Moulds	3,000
Baking Sheets 20*170	3,400
Muffin Tins	1,000
Cake Tins	1,000
Measuring Cups	1,000
Small Gadgets	5,000
Flour Bins	1,500
Oven Mitts	2,000
Gas stove 2 Burners	4,000
Gas Tubes	4,000
Refrigerator	25,000
Work Table*2	15,000
Washing Sinks	20,000
Grease Treatment Units	7,000
Storage Cabinets *2	15,000
Pots and Pans	3,000
Miscellaneous	10,000
Beginning Stocks & Supplies	30,000
	265,400

Total including VAT 7 %	283,978

The 283,978 Thai Baht is US $ 7,281 at current rate of exchange.