7 News Belize

Entrepreneurs At A Young Age
posted (November 12, 2012)
We've been reporting a lot on the importance of small businesses and that enterprising spirit in a small economy.

Well, today students at Grace Primary showed they have the dreams to fuel start-ups and the knack to pull it off. Monica Bodden visited their festival:..

Monica Bodden reporting
The street in front of Grace Primary School was turned into a street festival - with mini stalls set up in rows and music blasting in the atmosphere.

Under the stalls were students who played the role of young business men and women - selling a variety of products.

Customers could have gotten just about anything - from fruit smoothies, to cupcakes, to fry chicken and even jewelries and souvenirs. But this wasn't just a fun day for the students - instead it was an educational event to instill in these youngsters the importance of entrepreneurship from an early age.

It's all a part of Global Entrepreneurship Week - an international initiative that introduces entrepreneurship to young people across the globe.

It first started in 2008 and since then more than 10 million people from 102 countries have taken part in entrepreneurial-related activities during the week.

The Belize Youth Business Trust is the official host of this week's event.

Francisco Rosales - Marketing Officer, Youth Business Trust
"Today is the start of Global Entrepreneurship Week and it's a global event celebrated every November and Youth Business Trust Belize as the official host of Global Entrepreneurship Week is hosting a week full of activities to celebrate and promote Entrepreneurship in Belize."

"Today, Monday we are having various primary schools do something to promote Entrepreneurship and plant that seed of Entrepreneurship in the kids at such a young age."

Monica Bodden
"Tell us a little bit about what's happening on Amara Avenue?"

Francisco Rosales
"Here we have Grace Primary School have a street fest - having their students do different sales. They have their booths, they have actually even registered their little booths and the students are really just celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week along with the entire world."

And while these students took on the role of young entrepreneurs very well - they also took on the responsibility of donating 10 percent of their earnings to their school.

Nazeem Amad - Std 6 Student
"We are displaying jewelry as in key chains, necklaces and bracelets and we have sweets and different ideals like these."

Monica Bodden
"Tell me who made these pieces?"

Nazeem Amad - Std 6 Student
"I made some of these and then my group member Celine Lewis made another amount of them."

Monica Bodden
"Show me a piece that you made and tell me how long it took you to create it?"

Nazeem Amad - Std 6 Student
"Some of these like these, it took like 15 minutes for one and then some of them took 5-10 minutes to make."

Monica Bodden
"Tell me about the prices?"

Nazeem Amad - Std 6 Student
"They vary from $2 - $3.50. We sold quite an amount of these jewelry and we are happy about it."

Hannah Canto - Std 6 Student
"Today for entrepreneurial fair we decided to do creative headbands."

Bernice Ramirez - Std 6 Student
"Actually we had to recycle a lot of material like if we have some clothes we are not using we had to cut them up and make them look presentable."

Monica Bodden
"How long did it take to create these bandoos?"

Bernice Ramirez - Std 6 Student
"It took like a couple weeks because it's a lot of work trying to put these flowers and making it look creative and attractive."

Hannah Canto - Std 6 Student
"I created this one and first I had to do one color and then I had to stop and do another color and then I put the roses on top and then I didn't want to get burn so I took a lot of time."

Bernice Ramirez - Std 6 Student
"Sales have been going excellent."

Monica Bodden
"How many bandoos have you girls manage to sell since this morning?"

Bernice Ramirez - Std 6 Student
"Like 15 and each one is like $4.00. We have a lot of money."

Monica Bodden
"What do you plan to do with the money?"

Hannah Canto - Std 6 Student
"We have to give 10% to the school and save some."

Bernice Ramirez - Std 6 Student
"For like high school and so on."

Kobe Mayen - Std 6 Student
"I am making fruit shakes out of the citrus squashes. I put in some squash and ice and sugar."

Monica Bodden
"Kobe, do you know what you are doing? Do they taste okay?"

Kobe Mayen - Std 6 Student
"Yes ma'am."

Monica Bodden
"It's something that you guys have done home and then you brought it here?"

Kobe Mayen - Std 6 Student
"Yes ma'am."

Monica Bodden
"How has sales been going since this morning?"

Kobe Mayen - Std 6 Student
"Sales have been good. I am almost of the squashes and I am out of sugar."

Monica Bodden
"How much fruit shakes you'd say you sold since morning?"

Kobe Mayen - Std 6 Student
"At least about 45."

Monica Bodden
"How much for fruit shakes?"

Kobe Mayen - Std 6 Student
"50 cents and 1 dollar."

A list of activities is planned out for this week - involving students of all ages and educational levels.

Francisco Rosales - Marketing Officer, Youth Business Trust
"Tomorrow at the Princess Hotel and Casino we are having the entrepreneurship and innovation expo in collaboration with the University of Belize. On Thursday the 15th we are having an entrepreneurship symposium also in collaboration with the University of Belize. This will be held in Belmopan at the Jaguar Auditorium. On Friday we are ending off Global Entrepreneurship Week with a happy hour business mixer in partnership with the Radisson Fort George at the Stone Grill Bar."

Monica Bodden
"Speak to us about the importance of this week."

Francisco Rosales
"This week is very important because as we know not only in Belize but throughout the world unemployment rate is high and entrepreneurship is a viable option for employment to individuals and we try to promote entrepreneurship. To those that are job seekers we try to encourage them to become job creators and be a business person - an entrepreneur."


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