Entrepreneurial Children
22nd June 2019
On Friday 14th June we launched our Entrepreneur’s Week. Children in Years 4-8 were challenged to get together in groups, set up a business, plan a product or service to sell, cost their resources, create a rough business plan, apply for a loan, shop for their resources, market their ideas, create their products, set up a market stall, and then sell, sell, sell! The children in Years 1-3 worked as a whole class to do the same with the support of their class teacher.
Earlier in the school year it became clear that many of our children have a natural desire to trade. We felt the need to nurture this, whilst also educating the children how to undertake this sort of activity sensibly, so Entrepreneurs Week was conceived.
All week the school was filled with a buzz of excitement whilst empowered children took control of their own learning. They were encouraged to ‘make good business decisions’ and work together to ensure they made a profit. The ideas they came up with were very varied including: massages, nail painting, cake stalls, book marks, key rings, drinks, smoothies, coffees, biltong, raffles, guessing games, fair games and more! A total of 40,000ksh was borrowed and fingers were crossed that the loans would be repaid.
The week culminated in our Entrepreneurs Market which was held in the quad on Friday 21st June 2.30 – 3.30pm. Children put lots of effort into displaying their products and advertising their services. At 2.30pm, the EYFS children arrived, clutching their shillings, ready to spend. At the same time, the school gates opened and many parents arrived to shop with children. Every stall had planned their staffing so that children go time to shop as well as spend.
On Monday 24th the children pulled their accounts together, repaid their loans and declared their profits. The profit raised - almost 40,000ksh!!. This money has been donated to COMMUNITIES HEALTH AFRICA TRUST (www.chatafrica.org) and will be used by them to support their work in the Nanyuki Slums. It was such a fun experience, the week will definitely be back next year!!
