Education Program Tripulantes

FUNDACIÓN SOY OPORTUNIDAD

Education Program Tripulantes

Tripulantes is a program that seeks to provide training opportunities for mothers and caregivers to empower them and improve their living conditions.

Bogotá, Colombia

COL

Nonprofit

Globally, single mothers face structural barriers that exclude them from equitable access to the economy. This problem intensified after the pandemic. For example, in Latin America, female employment fell by 18%, compared to 14% for men, making it the most affected region in the world (ILO, 2022). Single women were the most impacted, not only by job loss but also by the intensification of unpaid caregiving responsibilities, which reduced their available time to search for work or train. In Colombia, 68.8% of women who are inactive in the labor market attribute this to housework (DANE, 2022), while in rural areas, only 39.7% manage to participate in the labor market (ILO, 2022). Furthermore, 56% of female heads of household remain unemployed even after 13 months of searching (Banco de la República, 2021). This reality is exacerbated by low educational attainment, lack of access to technology, and structural discrimination. Women not only earn less than men, but are also overrepresented in informal and low-wage sectors. This problem, which has been hidden for decades, perpetuates intergenerational poverty and gender inequality in our countries.

Our solution is an EdTech platform that trains mothers and caregivers who are unable to go out to work because they are caring for their children or family members. We teach them, using their cell phone or computer, skills to find work from home or start their own business. It doesn't matter if they have little education or limited internet access, as they can learn at their own pace, download content, and receive emotional support throughout the process. The platform is powered by artificial intelligence, delivering in real-time personalized feedback to enhance women’s learning outcomes. The program runs for five months, during which we teach practical skills—serving customers, using digital tools, developing soft skills, managing money, and boosting confidence. At the end, we connect participants with companies looking to hire women like them. We have already worked with more than 600 women in Colombia, and thanks to our program, 73% found new ways to generate income, 44% started a self-employment or microbusiness, and 27% found employment, impacting more than 1,000 family members. With this program, we want to demonstrate that, given the opportunity, these women can get ahead while still taking care of their families.

Our solution is designed for mothers and caregivers between 18 and 45 years old, heads of households, with no professional training or prior work experience, from vulnerable socioeconomic backgrounds (strata 1 to 3) in Colombia. In our program, we have worked with women: 66.3% are Colombian, 11.2% are Venezuelan migrants, 6.8% are women with disabilities, 3.9% are Afro-descendants, and 2% are Indigenous. These women—many of whom care for minor children or family members with disabilities alone—face a double burden: generating income and taking on unpaid caregiving duties, which reduces their time available for study or work. According to DANE (National Statistics Institute), 68.8% of women who do not participate in the labor market do so for caregiving reasons, compared to 15% of men. Furthermore, in Colombia, only 41.4% of female heads of household dedicate their time to paid work. Faced with this reality, our “Tripulantes” program provides free training in digital skills, remote work culture, entrepreneurship, and emotional well-being through a mobile platform accessible even with limited connectivity. Thanks to this intervention, 73% of our graduates access new sources of income, 44% launch entrepreneurial ventures, and 27% find employment. We empower historically excluded women.