Tinypreneurs Fair: A mother's venture to promote entrepreneurship amongst kids.

Byline: mariah suleman

Being a mother of two preschoolers, I realised that my children need more than just a regimented school routine, a world beyond gadgets and tasked assignments. I felt that they are missing out so much because they do not have a simple childhood that my generation had. They do not know the joy in building sand forts, having puppet shows, making bows and arrows, getting bruises and bloody knees, and having a blast. They are not immersed in childhood as simple as mine. I decided that no matter how hard and long it takes, I will make an effort to give them memories that are fun, real, and provide learning. As a lawyer by profession, I did not know much about entrepreneurship, but in 2018, I read a book on children's entrepreneurship 'Kidpreneurs' by Mathew and Adam Torren and decided to introduce this novel concept in Pakistan by having a small neighbourhood fair where children had their own business booths to manage.

The event was called 'The Tinypreneurs Fair '(some call it the tiny entrepreneurs) where children were asked to make anything they want, bring to the fair and sell to customers.

It was reminiscent of funfairs we used to have as kids, but with a learning nudge. Children were not only exposed to entrepreneurship and public speaking, but they also polished their communication skills and got a boost of confidence in earning their own money.

I wanted everyone's children, including my own, to feel in control of their respective spaces. The joy of getting your first pay-check, buying something from your hard-earned money, and sharing earnings with the underprivileged- financial bliss! My children, aged five and three, put up an apple and chocolate pie stall with their cousins, which was a super hit. They experienced all this goodness and had a great time mingling with other children. It was also a platform for meeting other like-minded families from a variety of schools of the twin cities. This is how the 'Tinypreneurs Fair' came into being. We had our second fair in April 2019 with a bigger footfall, and the third one is coming up on Sunday November 24, at AQS arts and crafts gallery gardens.

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