The Kenco project has a strong agricultural goal but, to underpin what the students are learning on the land, they also follow a managed classroom programme.
Focused on building their business skills, they undertake tuition in business planning, English and Spanish language, modern agricultural management, finance and project management. Tutors are brought to a purpose-designed centre near the Kenco farm and a significant portion of their week is dedicated to this essential part of the programme. It is a goal of the Kenco programme that the participants extend their opportunities beyond the lifespan of the project itself. Consequently, the final quarter of the project culminates in the development of individual business plans.
Not all of the students plan to stay in the coffee industry. Some do, but others hope to develop fish farms, beauty shops and other small businesses. According to their tutors, it is not a requirement of measuring success of the project that the students remain within the coffee industry but that what they experience leads them to opportunities that match their own ambitions.
During our time there the students were informed that each of them would receive a small injection of start-up cash from Kenco to help bring their business plans to life. In this video we visited the school and spoke with the tutors to get a measure of how the course has progressed.