Nicaragua: Youth Group Product Fair
Last week the fifteen current Peace Corps small business trainees brought together the six different youth groups we have formed and worked with during the past 10 weeks. For what purpose, you ask? Answer: To show off our newly created businesses and compete against each other in a product fair.
The weeks leading up to the day of the competition were filled with selecting a product, conducting market studies, carrying out production, publicity, teaching the youth about costs, prices, profit margins, and breakeven points, selling our product, and writing our business plan. It all came together somehow and my youth group proudly presented their recycled art business which they named Arte Eco Green.
The competition included businesses which sold cupcakes, pizza, fruit smoothies, and sweet rice with milk. The students did a great job with preparations and presentations; each group had 20 minutes to share their business plans and answer questions from the judges. Six groups competed in total and when it came down to announcing the winner...
...my youth group won! The kids each received new backpacks and a fancy first place certificate to add to their portfolios. Had we walked away with less than first place, I still would have left feeling successful.
Our youth group has come a long way in 10 short weeks and it feels unfair that it is ending now that us trainees are all moving to different sites within Nicaragua. We hope that the kids will continue with their businesses even after we leave, but we all know it won't be the same as before. At least we are leaving on a good note.
The weeks leading up to the day of the competition were filled with selecting a product, conducting market studies, carrying out production, publicity, teaching the youth about costs, prices, profit margins, and breakeven points, selling our product, and writing our business plan. It all came together somehow and my youth group proudly presented their recycled art business which they named Arte Eco Green.
The competition included businesses which sold cupcakes, pizza, fruit smoothies, and sweet rice with milk. The students did a great job with preparations and presentations; each group had 20 minutes to share their business plans and answer questions from the judges. Six groups competed in total and when it came down to announcing the winner...
...my youth group won! The kids each received new backpacks and a fancy first place certificate to add to their portfolios. Had we walked away with less than first place, I still would have left feeling successful.
Our youth group has come a long way in 10 short weeks and it feels unfair that it is ending now that us trainees are all moving to different sites within Nicaragua. We hope that the kids will continue with their businesses even after we leave, but we all know it won't be the same as before. At least we are leaving on a good note.
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