Russia Project

Project Title: Hope Project        Date of Project:  Started in September 2006 Specific need that the project will address: On the one hand the quality of working with handicapped people is very low and in now way comparable to western Europe. There is a lack of profound concepts, including marketing, production, selling and professional therapy. That addresses the management. On the other hand the standard of living of handicapped people is mostly even lower than the standard of the poor Russian people. There is a lack of equipment and daily products. Sometimes even a lack of food. By giving them the possibility to add value by producing products of high quality they get the possible to improve their life. That is actually connected with a management concept, mentioned above.   Target audience: The management and disabled people of the Caritas-project in St. Petersburg (Russia). The management consists of volunteers, from Russia and India. The disabled live in St. Petersburg, close to the caritas building.  In the Caritas building they work, eat and mix with other people, something which is not common in Russia. Learning objectives to be achieved by the participants: Our project has an ongoing character. So setting an end date is impossible. Butt we can set some short-term (end of this school year, Summer2007) and long-term (Summer 2008).  For the short-term we want to teach some basic marketing, (including a website) help them to create new product ideas and teach them how to sell the products succesfully. In cooperation with the Russian SIFE-team we will find suppliers. In the long-term we want to help the caritas project grow and professionalize even more. This means finding a lasting solution for their problems, make them as successful as possible and let them be an example for others. We can also solve problems which occur during our stay in St. Petersburg. Project description/overview: As we said we first need to set a goal for ourselves and the project. We work with different goals Our first goal is to give the management as much relevant business- and English skills as they need in workshops. Secondly, we want to introduce new products and teach how to make and market these products as good as possible, including making a webshop. Thirdly, we want to find suppliers which help the project and preferably supply their products as cheap as possible. Finally we want to solve most of the long-term problems and in the long-term help they project to expand. An ambitious plan, butt we are convinced we can do it. We have some experience in projects like this, are ambitious and are dedicated to this project. We have great partners like the sife-team St. Petersburg which help us to reduce the risks of doing business in Russia. In short we help the management and the disabled to reach the goal of being more professional and help more disabled in St. Petersburg. Project partners: Sife –St. Petersburg They’ve got the knowledge of the Russian market and of course the language skills. We want the project to be as successful as possible and for that we need people at the spot. Caritas Germany. Head of the Caritas project, we need them to see what we want to do and when this project is a success they can of course try to do the same in other places of the world. Werkstatte Gottessegen Dortmund. One of many places where disabled people work in Germany. A very good example. Russian entrepeneurs in Netherlands Sponsoring and knowledge Measurability (pre/post tests): Financial results, pictures and videos. Total students involved: 7 students are involved. 3 Dutch students and 4 Russian Students   Judging Criteria:  Market Economics, Success Skills, Entrepreneurship, Financial Literacy, Business Ethics People Impacted:                                About 60 are impacted. Hours Contributed:                                200 hours of the Dutch students.