Before the start of the workshops, each beneficiary explained what she does and specified her business idea to be developed and/or in a starting phase on the territory. The project and its objectives were presented and the contents of the meetings were introduced in broad terms. The beneficiaries and trainers established the frequency of the meetings together and the final details were defined, including the creation of a WhatsApp group for sharing materials and managing communications.
At the first meeting, there was a general presentation of the Ethikas platform and the contents produced by the project. The women involved understood how to consult the contents and move easily on the website. The contents of each individual meeting were shared for further information to be done independently at home.During the meetings, some of the materials on the platform were explored in depth, leaving a lot of space for dialogue and discussion between the participants. In fact, some materials offered the opportunity and inspiration to talk about personal issues, fears, curiosities and points of view that beneficiaries generally tend to keep to themselves. The training environment, already previously known by some of the beneficiaries, favored the process of learning, exchange and sharing due to the informality and familiarity.
Technical issues that were sometimes complex compared to the incoming skills of the women involved were addressed: despite the challenging contents, there was a strong desire to get involved, to understand, to get time for their personal and professional growth.
In the last meeting, the desire of some participants to be able to continue this course and to address issues
related to those developed in the Ethikas project emerged, including the topic of self-esteem.We consider the pilot successful overall, especially because it gave the people involved the opportunity to learn to approach their business project with a new look. It was a pathway of personal and professional growth, it promoted knowledge of the territory, of the local culture and offered the participants some technical skills that other courses rarely offer both in terms of quality of content and type of format.
