Mariam Saleem turned stress into a business opportunity. The Calgary teen was one of 100 different vendors participating in the fifth annual Silk Route Children’s Bazaar, a free, one-day market at the Red and White Club inside McMahon Stadium. Saleem told CTV News she was selling a self-growth, mental health journal that helps reduce individual stress. “Throughout the journal we use many different techniques,” Saleem said. “We’ll first start off with reflection poems, but then we also have quotes. We teach our people breathing techniques, yoga, and many different things. “They can use the methods from our journal and apply them in real life to help benefit them(selves),” she added. Origin story Event organizer Sumaiya Arif said the impetus behind the Silk Route Bazaar came from wanting to teach some home-schooled kids business skills. “We are four home=-schooled moms who wanted to teach entrepreneurship to our kids,” Arif said. “Soon enough we realized that we cannot do this without building a community – and that’s how it all started. “In the first year, (we had) 34 businesses and in the coming years, more and more kids wanted to participate. The sponsor trusted us and believed in our vision and supported us. “Everything is done by volunteers,” she added. “And let’s not forget our customers, our community who always show up at this event to support our young entrepreneurs – not just on bazaar day, but also beyond the bazaar day – they make sure they give them business throughout the year. “And then we have our amazing stars of the show, our vendors who just amp up the energy in this room when they come and participate in this bazaar.” Brothers and sisters Among those vendors were nine-year-old Saed and 12-year-old Susu Elserhy, along with a few other siblings, who each ran competing kiosks. “Basically ,we sell perfume – we make it with different scents,” said Susu, who was working with her older 14-year-old sister. “This gives you the opportunity to learn about business and how to grow business and other things like communication skills and more.” Business was steady at Susu and her sister’s perfume kiosk, while Saed sounded as if he had a hit on his hands. “We decided to sell Squishies,” Saed said. “Becaue we were scrolling online and we saw that the trendy stuff online were Squishies and Butter Squishies -- and they’re sold out now.” He had a definite plan for how to spend the proceeds too. “We are saving up for a VR headset,” Saed said. Meanwhile, Saleem’s self-help journals didn’t come from web surfing. She got the idea from personal experience. “I actually used to be really stressed and made this journal for myself,” she said, “but then I looked around and I realized lots of people here are stressed. “So, I should also go out and help them too.” For more information about the Silk Route Bazaar, go here.
