In northwest Argentina, students from the Technical Degree in Entrepreneurship Management teamed up with a Wichí community carpentry shop as part of their professional training, through Tecpetrol’s Community Relations (CORE) program. A genuine connection that set a productive project in motion.

The collaboration couldn’t have gone better. For the Wichí community of El Lapacho in Coronel Cornejo, Salta, their carpentry shop became the focus of a project led by college students completing their professional practice requirements prior to graduation. This collaborative initiative took shape through Tecpetrol, which also donated a circular saw to strengthen the workshop as part of its first contact with this small community in northwest Argentina.

With guidance from a teacher, students from the Conscripto Paz Institute in General Mosconi set out to turn the workshop into a fully functioning business. Their goal: to make the tables, chairs, shelves, and cutting boards crafted there a sustainable source of income for the community.

The woodpecker project

When the students arrived, their first step was to tidy up the workspace, arrange tools, and improve safety conditions. Once the shop was organized, they focused on building the project’s identity. The “Los Lapachos” carpentry shop creates pieces that blend craft and utility, where every object reflects a deep respect for the wood, using only noble, sustainable, local materials with no latex or varnish finishes.

But rustic furniture alone doesn’t make for a profitable business. Marketing tools, product positioning, and above all, cost calculations proved crucial. These were the students’ key contributions, especially given that many members of the community cannot read or write. Today, the workshop has its own QR code and digital wallet for payments, plus a product catalogue to help with sales and promotion.

“We act as bridges, bringing real opportunities to communities for their development,” explains Luciana Fernández, CORE Senior Analyst. It was the CORE team who conducted the interviews to match student interest and eligibility, as they needed to have at least 80% of their courses completed and half their degree passed. The six final-year students traveled regularly over the period of two months to work with the community, located just 10 kilometers from Tartagal in an area where the population is vulnerable and marked by limited resources.

“When we first presented the idea, they immediately saw a chance to organize their work and take a step forward,” says Luciana, who’s proud of how far things have come. “They’d already joined the local entrepreneurship fair before, selling food and crafts, but they’d had to set up shop from outside the venue, because they couldn’t afford a stand or knew how to get one.”

Together with Tecpetrol and their mentors, they set up a proper stand at the latest Expo Mosconi, the municipal entrepreneurship fair. They took their own product photos for social media, printed business cards, and designed a logo featuring a woodpecker, drawn by one of the students to symbolize their craft and perseverance.

“The students completed their required hours, but what really stands out is their social engagement and closeness to the community,” says Fernández. “They realized you don’t need much to make a difference, just the willingness to share what you know. You don’t have to be a social worker to connect.” The CORE program’s mission to open doors found a concrete way forward through this collaboration.

On the project’s closing day, as diplomas were handed out, community chief Pedro Pino, known for his quiet demeanor, expressed his thanks to Tecpetrol “for introducing us to these wonderful people who took the time to understand us.”

One of the female students also spoke up: “On behalf of my classmates, I want to thank Tecpetrol and the community for this experience. It gave us the chance to apply everything we’ve been learning these past two years. We learned so much.”

Located near the Ramos field, the Wichí community of El Lapacho now has a new saw in its workshop and plenty of new skills, while preserving its traditions and identity intact. Two intense months that left everyone involved with a sense of shared accomplishment.