Delicias de Alicia : NOURISHING YOUNG MINDS

We are Delicias de Alicia, a social enterprise based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, founded in 2015. Since then, we have been successfully running free nutrition and cooking workshops for underprivileged children. We fund this work by running a profitable pop-up vegetarian restaurant and catering service, re-investing all profits into the workshops. Over the past four years, we've reached over 450 children through our workshops and have gained widespread press coverage across Argentina, without having asked for any significant investment. 

We deliver the workshops directly in the low-income communities where the children live. Each workshop is formed by a set of six cooking classes, delivered to approximately 30 children at a time. The workshops have been designed to target the specific needs that we have identified in children living in these neighbourhoods, in particular reduced consumption of sugar and processed flours, and increased fresh fruit and vegetables. The majority of these children are living on less than $2 per day; below the poverty line. We teach them how to cook simple and affordable meals, for example lentil burgers, healthy banana muffins and pasta salad. 

Argentina has the highest rates of obesity in children between 0-5 years in Latin America, and there continues to be a real lack of education on simple nutrition. In 2012 (most recent figures available), the National Ministry of Health found that only 17.6% get their five-a-day of fruit and veg. If this problem isn't tackled now, future generations will have little chance to develop healthier eating habits. 

Our founder, Alicia Amende, arrived from the UK in 2013 and whilst volunteering with ETF, she discovered how little families knew about the link between the food they eat and their health. She thus set out to create a series of workshops that would educate children on the importance of a balanced diet. Working with child psychologists and nutritionists, they designed the workshops and produced the workbooks that the children fill in each week. 



Owing to the early successes of the workshops, Alicia continued the project and found a way to finance it. Thanks to the generosity and support of ETF, she was able to launch the pop-up restaurant in their donated kitchen space, which to this day we still use. Whilst this has been pivotal over the last three years, Delicias de Alicia has grown and now needs a more well-equipped space to cater to our demand. At present, we don't have access to a professional kitchen or the necessary equipment and utensils. We are therefore looking for investment into renting a professional kitchen, which would allow us to run more catering and dinner events at a higher quality, in order to finance double the amount of workshops in 2019.

We really believe in investing in the future of this project and we need your help to make it flourish. 
 
With your donations:

£1,600 - DOUBLE OUR WORKSHOPS

If we reach this goal, we can double the amount of workshops we put on annually, going from 160 children in 2018 to 320 children in 2019, offering the workshops in different inner city communities. 

£3,100 - EXPAND OUT OF THE CAPITAL

By reaching this sum, in addition to the above, we will be able to expand outside of the capital into more rural and underprivileged communities, such as Gualeguay. We will also be able to develop our current existing kitchen, investing in vital, new equipment, such as a new sink, fridge, microwave and oven in addition to crockery & glassware. We will also be able to improve health & safety and impose stricter hygiene standards.

£6,450 - RENT A PROFESSIONAL KITCHEN

If we are able to raise as much as this, as well as achieving all of the above, we will be able to rent a professional kitchen for a year. With this new space, we will grow our catering service and increase our production so as to reach a bigger customer base and improve our profitability. 

£8,500 - RENOVATE KITCHEN + GROW OUR BRAND

Our final goal figure would not only enable us to achieve all of the above, but we would also be able to renovate the professional kitchen space and copyright our brand. The renovation of the kitchen would enable us to offer not only a sustainable catering option but also a more professional service. With this investment into the Delicias de Alicia brand, we can guarantee the long-term delivery of workshops. 

We're not asking for handouts, we're asking you to invest into our growing social enterprise. 

WHY IS WHAT WE DO IMPORTANT?

Education on the basic principles of nutrition is so often overlooked in Argentina, something we take for granted in the UK. This results in sustained diets high in refined sugar, carbohydrates and saturated fat - particularly amongst the less privileged. These diets lead to 'Hidden Hunger' which is a chronic lack of vitamins and minerals that causes, amongst other things, poor concentration, a diminished sense of curiosity and a limited desire for social interaction. Furthermore, the consumption of "empty calories" increase risk of non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, reducing life expectancy and makes fighting infectious diseases harder. The poor living conditions of the villas in which we work, often do not have adequate sanitation systems and homes are poorly insulated. By focussing our work here, we are reaching the most vulnerable children in the city. 

SOLVING THIS...

Healthy eating is often seen as a luxury, but Delicias de Alicia is trying to prove that it is not. By using affordable and easily accessible ingredients, we demonstrate how simple foods can be used to make nutritious meals. We buy all the ingredients for the workshops in the communities we work in, and keep all recipes below the average budget.

YOUR REWARDS:

Pledge £5:
- Receive an instagram shoutout; so please leave your instagram handle so we can tag you!

Pledge £12 or more:
- Receive one of our uniquely designed tote bags made from organic cotton!
- Receive an instagram shoutout

Pledge £50 or more:
- Your name will be printed on 30 workbooks
- You will also receive one of our organic cotton originally designed tote bags and one of our postcards
- You will also get an instagram shoutout

Pledge £100 or more:
- Your name will be printed on 60 workbooks
- You will also receive one of our organic cotton originally designed tote bags and one of our postcards
- You will also get an instagram shoutout



 ORGANIC COTTON TOTE BAG WITH ORIGINAL DESIGN

RISKS & CHALLENGES

One of our biggest challenges has been access to the communities and signing up the children. We are constantly faced with the reality of where we work. Many of the children come from homes built poorly and are faced with more extreme challenges, such as the lack of running water. The 'villas' are not only precarious settlements, they are noisy and violent. With our workshops we hope to provide a space where children have the opportunity to come and learn, have fun and cook in a calm and safe setting. 

Another big challenge has been the expansion of our business services and realising new client requests, for example bigger catering events. We have limited internal investment thus far, so as to fund the workshops which are our absolute priority. Buying new equipment, managing marketing strategies and renting a professional kitchen are therefore often sidelined, which hinders our ability to grow and improve the project. Thus, by asking for investment into the enterprise, we hope to expand our business services so we can keep growing from strength to strength!


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