Ambitious small businessman optimistic about local youths

Feb 16, 2014 News

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Although reports suggest that there is a growing number of youths finding themselves in situations of a criminal nature, there is one young man who is of the firm belief that there is yet hope. This is in spite of the fact that he ‘wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth’.
However, his names definitely give meaning to his conviction. Born Kahero Hope 30 years ago, the young man who hails from the East Coast of Demerara is convinced that young people could in fact capitalise on the business evolution of an area miles away from his domicile.
While the word ‘hope’ suggests the presence of optimism, which is certainly not lacking in this young man, the African name Kahero, according to some theorists, speaks to an individual who tends to be orderly and dedicated to building their lives on a solid foundation of order and service.

And there is no denying Hope has embraced this notion completely, as his optimism is not merely nestled on words but his actions have materialised quite loudly too.
Not only has he taken advantage of the evolving business hub in the Diamond/Grove, East Bank Demerara area, but he is certain that the evolution has only just begun, and could see young people in the forefront.
Already the locale is bordering on township status complete with banking facilities, supermarkets and fast-food outlets among other commercially-driven establishments.
Although his visionary stance had seen him first opening a small ‘kids’ store in Central Georgetown some time ago, that move was rather short-lived. Hope disclosed that for him as a ‘small’ businessman, Georgetown was certainly not an ideal location for him, since competition was too much to allow for his business’s survival.
Intent on establishing a thriving business, Hope disclosed that his next move was to ardently explore areas that had a need for what he offered. He found that not only was the East Bank area in need of a kids store, but he even saw the potential of catering to women’s beauty needs. And this is exactly what he did.
Last August, Hope became the proud owner of ‘House of Braids’, which caters to both children and women’s needs, and which stands conspicuously in the heart of the evolving business hub.
Realising this dream, however, was done without a single loan from a bank or any other loan agency, Hope intimated.
Though it was not an easy task, the young man disclosed that his vision was fuelled by “dedicated and discipline” which he believes could help just about anyone realise their dreams too.
It was a long time ago, Hope said, that he became aware that a young person securing finances is a “major issue.”
“For a young person to start a business they have to get the capital and if you go to a bank you need assets, but young people don’t usually have assets, so that is a major hindrance right there,” Hope said.
And although there are some other lending institutions, he noted that youths can be faced with a situation where they are not afforded the requisite funds needed to get them started.
In recognition of the existing state of affairs, Hope decided that he was going to remain focused and “raise” his own capital, which he was able to do by working other jobs.
Interesting to note, the young man was able to stay focused, although he had his own family to care for. Although his young wife is gainfully employed and certainly was a wealth of support, they also had two young mouths to feed as well.
Hope is confident that his family is now poised to reap the benefits of his commitment. He noted that while many young people may not be able to “channel their inner commitment” as he did, there should be some element of proper guidance in place for them.
“A lot of young persons, I know, venture out to do business, but what they don’t know is that discipline is the key…if you are not disciplined you could lose track of your specific goal. You need the right persons around backing you, not necessarily financially, but morally, and at times in a physical way,” Hope underscored.
Success, according to him, is inevitable, once persons are cognizant of the fact that it could at times be long in coming.
“Once you have the resources and the right plan, of course, you must come up with a plan on what you want to do, things can happen,” said Hope, who is even more hopeful that an institution will emerge in the near future to not only mentor but take a financial chance on young people, so that they can become gainfully engaged in a positive way.
“A lot of young people have great ideas, but they have nowhere to go,” Hope lamented.

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