Our Youngistan

Last weekend LCCI (Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry) organized its 2nd Expo in Lahore amidst much publicity. However many people did not know about LCCI’s project “Made in Youngistan” which also debuted there as well
“We organized Youngistan to promote the efforts and help facilitate the young entreprenuers in Pakistan” said Madiha Nasrullah, the project manager for this event. Their definition of ‘Young’? “We selected the age bracket for the participants between 18 and 30 years” What was the criteria for selecting them? “Those that did not have their own outlets, mostly relying on online social communities and websites to sell and market their products. We gave these stalls to them on discounted prices since most of the entreprenuers could not afford the steep prices that normally go with such exhibitions”
There were about 50 stalls in total. Majority of their products catered to women. There were stalls on cosmetics, handbags, jewelry and designer wear but for a few exceptions. Moeez Javed, a student of Beaconhouse National University started an initiative by the name of Virgin Tees. For every t-shirt you buy from him, 43% of the retail price paid is donated to an NGO. “Profit margin is very low and we market ourselves through our facebook page. But people loved our designs and our cause. The response was amazing” he said.
Amongst all the garments lay a stall that caught me off guard. There stood a male quietly leaning beside a banner that read SOS for Animals. I went over and was greeted by Dr Awais Anees, a Vetnerary who started this initiative to help save the stray animals running in the city. “Animal abuse is becoming alarmingly common now. Stray dogs and cats are tortured, deliberately run over by cars and left for dead. Animals should be given the affection they deserve. It was not an easy task for us. I used to help provide shelter and medicine for the strays in my home. But slowly we got support. Now we are taking some land near Thokar Niaz Beg to set up a clinic. We will take stray dogs and cats off the street, cater to their injuries, sterilize them, give them their vaccinations and put them up for adoption” But will people still be willing to adopt those animals? I asked. For most people here owning a pet is a luxury and people take great pains to ensure a pure pedigree. “From the response we got it also seems people have a big heart as well” Awais said admitted they have a long way to go. Currently, their role over here is to spread awareness about their project and garner support. “We tell everyone who comes to our stall that if they ever come across any injured, abandoned or tortured animal they can drop it off his clinic.”
Some entrepreneurs had their reservations, complaining about the event being below their expectations. “Our main motive was not to help them sell their products” said Madiha. “Rather we wanted to prove a platform for them to help showcase their efforts on a larger scale” I asked what they should really focus on. “They should learn how to market themselves effectively” she said. “Some of the stalls here would have made a far better display if they had utilized their space and lighting properly. Others did a brilliant job of it. Events like these should be taken as a learning experience. It will help the entrepreneurs realize where they are and how far they need to go” Everyone however, agreed that there should be more exhibitions like these to help promote the youth in showcasing their creativity and innovation. While our dire economy may not encourage people to risk their capital for such ventures, the youth have started to show resilience against all odds and are striving for a better future.