Jim and Andrea Cockrum with their five children in Guatemala in 2011
Jim and Andrea Cockrum are U.S. citizens who are living in America, but at their core they are Philanthropreneurs with a heart for the country of Guatemala and its children.
Their passion for that country developed several years ago when they adopted their only daughter from there. They and their four other children relocated to that Central American region for three months as they worked through the adoption process.
It’s worth noting that prior to Guatemala, the Cockrums were “veterans” when it came to international adoption as they had adopted two of their sons from Russia and China respectively. Needless to say they had a lot of experience and expertise regarding global adoption issues.
That understanding, coupled with their entrepreneurial lifestyle, enabled them to uproot their lives and temporarily move to Central America.
Andrea can work anywhere in the world as a successful artist, who also homeschools their children. Similarly, Jim is a successful author, podcaster and founder of an engaging Facebook community with more than 40,000 members, as well as partner in a multi-faceted e-commerce empire selling physical and informational products, coaching and events.
Building an economic bridge of hope for at-risk orphans
During the 90-days the family lived in Guatemala, they witnessed the significant educational challenges that children in that country face, especially its orphan population which is estimated to be nearly 370,000 kids under the age of 17--- totaling 3 percent of that country's population. That firsthand experience birthed their vision to build an economic bridge of hope for some of these forgotten children.
"Middle school and beyond is not free in Guatemala and is too expensive for most families to afford. While having no educational access is a significant issue for Guatemalan kids raised in poverty-stricken families, the lack of continuing education compounded with the lack of a loving family is a devastating combination for orphans in that country and often ends in tragedy," said Andrea.
She said most government-run orphanages in Guatemala require children to leave the shelter and security of the facility once they become 13 years old. However, Andrea said that without the necessary family support, education or valued job skills many of those children turn to criminal gangs, substance abuse or end up as victims of human trafficking.
To help break that destructive cycle, Jim and Andrea partnered with others to found and fund a privately-run orphanage named El Amore de Patricia that's located 20 minutes outside of Guatemala City. Andrea says the orphanage has been operating for several years now with dozens of children whose average age is eight years old.
Some are even preteens but Andrea says because their orphanage is private, the children are not forced to "age out" of the system. Instead, those young adolescents will enter an immersive vocational training program in e-commerce that's being put in place.
Applying an entrepreneurial mindset toward poverty, drugs and education
As part of the vocational training, the teens will continue to have a place to stay while they learn about the global marketplace and learn the skills needed to succeed at internet-based selling including: sourcing of local goods to sell worldwide, inventory management, shipping logistics and much more.
The vocational haven will keep them off the streets and off drugs, while developing valued skills and generating a self-sustaining income for these kids.
The training and technology will all be provided for free to the children who transition from the orphanage to the vocational center.
"To be clear this is not charity, it is on-the-job training. We hope that once we establish that first vocational center and have trained a strong handful of Guatemalans with a passion for making an economic impact in their country, they will become leaders in their communities. We'll encourage them to spread out and cross-pollinate their e-commerce training and insights to other Guatemalans," said Andrea. "A key part of this initiative is Guatemalans training each other. Because we recognize that as much as we love the Guatemalan culture, we don't fully understand all its nuances."
Unlocking a global opportunity for the poorest of the poor
But the Cockrum's do understand the nuances and dynamics of running a diverse suite of thriving online businesses generating as much as eight-figures per quarter from anywhere in the world---using just an internet connection.
Andrea says the Spanish-speaking orphans are learning to write and read English, which is currently the international language of business. They'll also be taught the internet business model, how to identify and procure successful products, as well as fulfill orders via online channels such as eBay, Amazon or Alibaba. That's when she says things will start to get really exciting for her and Jim.
"The potential economic impact of just one of these entrepreneurs-in-training can change the lives of everyone they know as their businesses expand and they share the training with friends, relatives or neighbors. We envision this positive growth and energy spreading virally---there's no reason it can't," said Andrea.
The privately-funded orphanage is the linchpin of the Cockrums’ master plan because that will be a "base" the children can launch from into the vocational center. The vocational center is currently in the planning stage, but it will be operational when the children are ready to transition. Andrea says the current staff at the facility is working "...everyday with the children to bring it a step closer to reality."
Once the vocational center is running, the Cockrums hope that young adults who "graduate" from the training will decide to travel to other parts of Guatemala to start new vocational centers of their own to spur exponential, economic growth. Andrea notes that similar economic development models have worked successfully in other third-world countries and believes it will work in Guatemala.
"The power of this model is that it's not a handout. These young economic pioneers will be empowered to change their lives for the better, because when you work for something and earn it yourself---you honor it more."