By KT Leong
The Perak State government project named Bazaar Junior Perak 2023, which was organised by Junior Chamber International Kinta (JCI Kinta) and co-organised by Little Tauke, was successfully held at Meow Garden, Tambun on June 17. It had successfully attracted the participation of 2000 people from the general public.
Bazaar Junior Perak 2023 was formerly known as School of Hope: Children Flea Market when it was first introduced by JCI Kinta in 2022. Due to the overwhelming response from parents and children last year, this project was carried out again this year with an upgraded scale and new aim of attracting multiracial participants for this year’s event.
A series of comprehensive learning programmes was introduced to children aged 6 to 12, which comprised of 3 hours of business training, corporate visitation and the actual flea market where children ran their own business. The total sales of the whole flea markets was estimated at RM25,000, with 10% of the profits from booths run by non-under privileged children to be donated to designated charities, to mark the end of this programme with a meaningful good deed.
There were a total of 60 children’s stalls on the event day, which were run by 257 children, including 74 sponsored children. The children who participated in this flea market expressed that they’ve learned valuable lessons about the importance of money, how to make smart financial decisions, and how to manage their finances effectively. They also had the chance to set up their own booths or stalls, where they could sell products or services, interact with customers, handle transactions, and track their earnings and expenses.
The Organising Chairlady of this project, Stephanie Hew, stated that Bazaar Junior Perak 2023 strives to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for children from a multiracial background, and that the organisers are committed to providing a space where everyone can thrive. She believes that a diverse community is a strong community, and all kids deserve to learn financial literacy regardless of which race they are from.
2023 JCI Kinta President, Tan Teck Yin mentioned in his speech that through this programme, they aim to provide a platform for children to showcase their creativity and develop their business skills. He believes that empowering the children with entrepreneurship skills is crucial to building a strong economy and a prosperous future for Perak.
Chairperson of Perak State Women’s Development, Family, Social Welfare, and Cooperative, the Yang Berhormat Puan Salbiah Mohamed hopes that the Bazaar Junior Perak event will continue to be a tradition passed down from year to year. This is an important step in developing and shaping the minds of our children to have a high entrepreneurial spirit. Yang Berhormat also hopes that the children involved in this event will see it as a starting point that inspires them to continue striving and developing their potential.
