Gandhi Memorial Fair Nurtures Future Business Leaders
The students at Gandhi Memorial Vedic School in Aranguez put on their annual Entrepreneurship Fair on Friday as part of the school’s thrust to develop creative and critical thinking skills.
Sales pitches, business proposals and product development are all part of the entrepreneurship skills being taught to students.
The school is usually known for its performance in the SEA examination, having consistently produced students in the top 200 over the years.
However, speaking at the school’s fourth annual Entrepreneurship Fair, Principal Sookdeo Gangoo says the school wants to produce not just top students but future leaders in every sector.
« We believe that if we are going to develop leaders of tomorrow, if we are going to build our nation, this is the path we should follow. We should have students who are business minded so that they can grow and develop and build our nation because that is really our goal – our goal is to build future leaders – and at Gandhi that is what we do. »
Principal Gangoo attributed the success of the fair to the continued support of parents and the school board.
Convincing marketing pitches persuaded many parents to part with their hard-earned cash, but one parent, Jason Ogeer, felt it was money well spent, given the lessons learned.
« Having this exposure at this young age gives them the option to open their minds that if they aren’t academically included, they can still do something with their life. »
The students, who made all the products themselves, gave some insight into the process and what they enjoyed most about it.
Caitlyn Lopez, the Design Technician of Wickedly Wonderful Candles, said, « The most interesting part about learning to make the candles was adding the toppings and seeing how they set nicely and actually melting the wax and being introduced to the manufacturing process. »
The post-SEA students were also pleased they had an opportunity to participate in the fair before heading to secondary school.
Keeana Serrette, Development Officer at Handmade Coasters, told TTT News, « It’s to prepare us for instances in the future for making a business because starting at such a young age will give you more experience for the future. »
Sophia Jagoo, the Strategy Officer at Handmade Coasters, shared some advice with schools throughout T&T, encouraging them to start a similar programme.
« It’s a good idea because it will help raise money for the school and provide better essentials for the school, and it’s an easy way to raise money and help students learn how to start a business. »
