A group comprised of excited business students at an east Auckland school is among the six local regional finalists in this year’s Young Enterprise Scheme (YES).
The scheme is designed to give Kiwi students the experience of starting and running their own business.
Ormiston Senior College pupils Aahana Sharma, Armaan Hora, Maanvi Prakash, Gloria Prasad, and Aarav Verma are taking part this year.
Their group, Viti Initiative, has created a boardgame named ‘Bula Earthy’ to donate to underprivileged children in Fiji with the goal of promoting environmental education.
The students want to offer Fijian children a “cherished educational tool that’s otherwise out of reach for them”.
Their project involves designing and selling hoodies online for $45 each, with the money going toward producing and distributing the boardgames.
Four of the group’s members are from Fiji and they say they’ve seen the struggles faced by the children they want to help.
Viti Initiative was recently named one of six east Auckland regional finalists selected from 36 groups.
They say they’re “incredibly proud of how far we’ve come, thanks to the support from our community”.
“We’ve also donated our first batch of educational board games to underprivileged children in Fiji.
“It was a huge milestone for our team, and it only strengthens our commitment to continue this mission.”
The group’s members, who are all 17 years old, say it’s hard to express how much being named regional finalists means to them.
“It feels like all our hard work is paying off, and more importantly, it gives us a platform to continue making an impact in the community.
“Our team has reached a major milestone having made our first donation of Bula Earthy to children in Nadi, Fiji.
“This game isn’t just about fun. It’s about teaching environmental awareness in a way children can easily understand and engage with.
“We’ve also recently been communicating with orphanages in the area to give the homes a board game of their own.”
And the group’s members say they’re working with schools in New Zealand through sustainability workshops.
“We introduce students to Bula Earthy and teach them practical ways to care for the environment and simple concepts such as the 3 R’s (reduce, reuse and recycle).
“The positive feedback from these sessions motivates us even more to continue working with these schools and reaching more children in New Zealand and the Pacific, spreading our message of environmental care and education.
“It’s been amazing to see people come together to support our mission.
“The more people hear about what we’re doing, the more we can help children in need in both Fiji and New Zealand.”
To buy a hoodie to support the students’ efforts, go online to www.instagram.com/viti.initiative/
