163 merchants of the new public market of Cienaga, Magdalena, received seed capital to strengthen their businesses with the help of Ciemprende, an initiative sponsored by the Prodeco Group, and supported by the Cienaga Mayor’s Office and the Santa Marta Chamber of Commerce.

With the delivery of the seed capital, merchants will be able to strengthen their trade of meat foods, beverages, dairy products, warehouses and restaurants.

In addition to financial support, the Ciemprende program provided traders a training process where they were taught to identify business ideas and markets, design marketing plans, basic financial statements, cash flow, solid waste management and about the culture of savings and its benefits.

In 2016, the Prodeco Group reached a cooperation agreement with the Cienaga Mayor’s Office and the Santa Marta Chamber of Commerce to set up Ciemprende in the municipality of Cienaga, Magdalena. To date over 350 people have been trained to develop entrepreneurial projects. The Prodeco Group and its allies propose and manage this initiative previously implemented elsewhere in the country, which has been promoted by the National Government through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).