Community Commercial Entrepreneurship of Natural Crafts based on LUFFA CYLINDRICAL (Vegetable sponge)

Production and commercialization of crafts and articles by means of vegetable sponge, as being: sponges of bath, multiuse sponges, insoles, hats, handbags, flats, accessories, sets for candles, air fresheners and other articles.
The benefits that this activity will generate to the region will be the training to its settlers on new production techniques, to offer them new opportunities to generate their income; the economic benefits will be generated by the selling of the crafts and elaborated articles.
The production will be under the advice of trained people with production techniques and skills, care of the plant, time advised for its crop, treatment of the sponge, process for its pressing in order to make it ready for manufacturing. According to studies the fruit is ready for the making of the different articles from 8 months of sowing.

For the making of crafts and articles, the settlers will receive courses of training in manufacturing; women's participation will be encouraged in skills of manufactured products.
The materials needed are the following ones:
2 sheds (1 to store the product, 1 as a manufacturing hall)
Seed, working tools, wires and poles.

Not qualified labour
5 producers per hectare
Qualified labour
Project's manager
Agronomist
Forest engineer
Book-keeper
Chauffeur
Demand: At the beginning as promotion of the articles, the products will be aimed to the national market, they will be released in supermarkets and pharmacies in La Paz, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba and Tarija; afterwards, they will be released on international market.
The principal characteristics of the product, which is natural, ecological, biodegradable, and in accordance with medicinal tests, its fibre is excellent as natural exfoliation of the skin, it has the property to activate the circulation and invigorate the function of the skin.

Raw material: Seeds will be imported from Brazil, after the first production the seeds will be obtained from the proper production. Because of the climate it is possible to have the raw material available the whole year in order to be able to manufacture the products the whole year as well. Extra materials to be needed, such as cloths, synthetic sponges, threads, etc, are national materials.

In order to have an accurate knowledge about its commercialization, consultations were made in some departments of Bolivia and we have got as results that all the supermarkets, drug stores, shops, etc., where we want to release the product are quite ready to promote the articles. The advantage of introducing these products to the national market, is that we are dealing with a product that has not been exploited in our country yet, in accordance with inquires realized in different departments, as La Paz, Santa Cruz, Tarija and Cochabamba, 80% in urban area do not know the product, but they would be ready to use it, 20% of the population knows it and they look for the product.
The vegetable sponge is found here in some (elite) supermarkets as bath sponge which are very much appreciated by the persons who use it , these sponges are imported from Argentina, we consider this fact not a competition for which it is found in very limited quantities and the prices are quite high.

We also found these sponges as raw material in local markets in tropical cities where they grow in a natural way, in many cases the seeds are also purchased, occasionally we find it as bath sponge, but the quality is not good. Reason why I consider important the promotion of this product by means of advertising television commercials, catalogues, leaflets in strategic places advertising its medicinal benefit among other qualities of the product.

It is an innovative product with medicinal characteristics, besides that it is biodegradable and ecological.
Loofa is a natural product that it is not over processed and it is hand made manufacture.
Improves skin circulation, and therefore, skin cells waste is washed away, more oxygen and nutrients are supplied. You simply rejuvenate your skin.

At present, I am working with INAGRO (NGO) at the community of Alto Beni and Municipality of Pilon Lajas (La Paz) with the production of coffee of Height, where we advise production and trading, as like that also, I am doing social investigation, analyzing indexes of poverty, unemployment and migration; that is what motivates me to put into your consideration this project that will offer sources of work and better conditions of life, to the settlers of this region.
My successes are to have reached my objectives proposed as contributing to the reduction of the poverty with the implementation of productive projects in the rural area and in the commercial sector, to have directed companies the productive industrial sector and to have been able to place them as leaders in the domestic market with export expectations. It manufactures of pastas “CHAMICOLA” production and commercialization of variety of products with the help of wheat flour (Noodles)

Direct and Indirect local employment: he/she will offer employment, in the first year to 50 residents of the region estimating that the production the second year it will be duplicated like likewise the employment
Direct and indirect local income: The local revenues were in direct form for the producers and who want to contribute with products to the project provided they maintain the quality of the product
This development impact ace much ace possible to short-term 1 year.: The impact in the local development is in one year