Philippine Embassy in Brasilia hold Jewelry Making and Cake Decorating Workshops to Celebrate Women’s Month

In line with its Gender and Development Program and in commemoration of the International Women’s Month, the Philippine Embassy in Brasilia conducted two livelihood training programs on 25 March 2018 at the chancery for the benefit of the Filipino Community, namely a Jewelry Making Workshop and a Cake Decorating Workshop.

The Jewelry Making Workshop was conducted by Ms. Terezinha Cotrim, proprietor of the Art Cotrim Artisan Shop in Brasilia, assisted by her artist-daughter, Ms. Ester Marques. Various techniques and designs in making stylish jewelry were taught and demonstrated to the participants, who were supplied materials and tools to create a jewelry set consisting of a pair of earrings, a bracelet and a necklace.

Since Brazil is a source of cheap but quality semi-precious stones, the Embassy hopes to inspire workshop participants to become entrepreneurs by starting a small jewelry making business when they return to the Philippines.

The Cake Decorating Workshop, on the other hand, was facilitated by Ms. Menchu Corbitt, the Filipino-Australian Second Secretary of the Australian Embassy in Brasilia. Ms. Corbitt taught the participants the fundamentals of cake decorating, after which she allowed the participants to use their imagination in decorating cupcakes and in three big cakes, the latter by working in groups.

As with jewelry making, the Embassy hopes that participants would consider cake decorating as a possible entrepreneurial pursuit.

Thirty two (32) participantsjoined both workshops.