From homemade candles to keychains to chocolate, youth at BGC Moncton stepped into the business world Saturday.
“My product is candles,” said 14-year-old Eyad Salen, who moved to Canada from Egypt about five years ago.
“I made them with the help of some teachers from the Boys and Girls Club and I made them because I wanted to learn how to make them and felt like I would enjoy making them.”
Inside the gymnasium, a handful of youth showcased their products as the final stage of the club’s Newcomer Youth Services Ingenium program.
There are three phases that see youth aged 12-to-18 go through an entrepreneurship program, which allows them to bring one-of-a-kind products and essentially brand-new businesses to the Greater Moncton Area.
“I did bracelets in multiple colours,” said 13-year-old Maria Mora, who moved to Canada from Ecuador in 2021.
“We had to go through a logo marking, marketing a little bit, and like the steps to our products and that kind of stuff, so we went through those steps and then we were able to open our business.”
Over the last four years, since introducing Ingenium, Newcomer Youth Services Director Ali Abu Zeid says more than 500 new Canadian youth have gone through the entrepreneurship program at BGC Moncton and the main goal is much bigger than just a business plan.
“Many of them when they move here they experience culture shock or they don’t have friends, so we use our entrepreneurship just as an excuse for them to start building those relationships, but also making new friends and feel that they’re in a new home that they feel comfortable and be who they are and show their true self,” said Abu Zeid.
At Saturday’s market, he says there were youth from seven different nationalities including Ukraine, Egypt and Ecuador.
“Many of them have been here for a few months and some have been here for a year or a little bit more, however based on previous experience, we know that it takes sometimes up to three years for a youth to feel safe in a new place, so we are hoping that this program contributes to this feeling of safety and security for them in Canada.”
Abu Zeid says it’s just the first step for the youth.
The hope is they will continue to promote themselves and their businesses outside of BGC Moncton and continue to foster the skills they learned during their time.
“I wanted to have a good future and something good to put on my resume for future jobs and learn how to make a business in the future if I want to,” said Salen.
However, he admits he got more out of the program than just business advice.
“It’s helped me with my social skills. I’ve gotten more comfortable talking to people I haven’t met before,” he said.
Abu Zeid says over the last four years, he’s seen a lot of youth come out of their shells and change over the course.
“They start at the beginning, they’re very shy, ‘We don’t know anybody,’ but by the end of the program they’re like, ‘You’re my best friend now,’ and they don’t want to leave each other, but we’re just an environment for them, just to help them start building those relationships and those friendships always continue outside of the program,” he said.
He added while this group of youth have officially graduated from the program, the support at BGC Moncton doesn’t end there.
“We’re always here for them to support them in anything that they need,” he said.
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