Church offers training to budding entrepreneurs

The Catholic Church in Communist Cuba is offering a choice of educational programmes for budding entrepreneurs or cooperatives on the island. Under the courses, prospective small business owners learn how to establish and run their own companies.

The Company of Jesus, De La Salle Brothers and Archdiocese of Havana provide workshops and a two-year degree programme recognised by La Salle University in Mexico, the Archdiocese explained in its magazine, Palabra Nueva (New Word).

“We offer skills that are basic but necessary in order to adapt to the project in our country,” said Jorge Mandilego, director of the Archdiocese’s Cuba Emprende (Cuba Learns) project, which has taught business essentials, such as accountancy, taxation and marketing, since mid-2012.

The demand for training sprung up after President Raúl Castro relaxed swingeing state controls in 2010 and allowed limited sectors of the economy, such as home and car purchasing, to function privately. Under the liberalisations encouraged by the Church, Cubans were allowed access to the Internet for the first time but few have sufficient money to pay for access.

These business courses represent the first educational services the Communist Party has permitted the Church to run. The state retains control over all education and Palabra Nueva clarified the courses do not seek to replace any training offered by the Government.

The Church has been frustrated in its requests to establish faith schools in Cuba, while it has been at the vanguard of calling for reforms. Its most high-profile success came with its mediation – in cooperation with the Spanish Government – in the liberation of dozens of political prisoners in 2010.