A better future for youth from Argentina

In Santa Ana, a small town in Tucumán still bearing the scars of the sugar mill closure more than five decades ago, resilience has become a way of life. Where opportunities are scarce and many young people have been forced to migrate in search of work, the desire to create, to build, and to stay remains alive.

With that spirit, the workshop cycle “Emprender sin barreras” (“Entrepreneurship Without Barriers”) was launched by ACDI to support young people and local entrepreneurs in transforming their ideas into sustainable projects. Over three intensive sessions, participants followed a path that not only provided technical tools, but also built confidence and motivation to envision a different future.

In the first session, the young participants explored their own abilities and learned to see themselves with an “entrepreneurial mindset,” identifying their strengths while acknowledging the challenges they face. The second meeting focused on administration, costs, and financial control—crucial knowledge for anyone seeking to make their efforts profitable. Finally, the third session introduced marketing and sales, with a very special closing activity: a fair where participants shared their own ventures and showcased what they had learned.

This space offered more than just practical knowledge: it also opened doors to self-esteem, teamwork, and the possibility of dreaming collectively. Young people who once doubted their abilities now feel empowered to imagine their own professional path, with greater clarity and the strength of knowing they are not alone.

In total, 24 entrepreneurs from the community of Santa Ana actively participated, sharing their experiences, concerns, and dreams, while finding in the workshop a space for collective learning that helped them strengthen their projects and generate new ideas for the future.