WHEN SAVING for an overseas school trip most 14-year-old kids would turn to their parents for the money. But not Hope Green. She started her own business.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Bendigo South East student dreams of travelling to China with her school.
Not wanting her parents to have to foot the bill, she started her very own business, Hope’s Handmade Hobbies.
“I decided to start it because I honestly didn’t think it was fair that my parents should have to pay for (the trip). They’re not experiencing it, they’re not going over there. So why should they have to pay?
“No. I want to get there myself. And I feel that that way it’s fair.”
Hope is a regular feature at local craft and community markets, selling a range of handmade arts and crafts including hair accessories, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings and pixie dust.
“Pixie dust is a little bottle of glitter with a cute necklace. Their just two dollars, so their nice and cheap. Little kids can buy them themselves with their own money.”
She says that she makes most of the items she sells and loves being inspired by creative projects.
“They put me in a calming place. Like, if you don’t know what to do you can just craft and make anything out of anything. I don’t watch a TV or play a sport. So that’s what I do instead.”
A new and popular part of her business is face painting.
“A really good friend of mine down in Bairnsdale has a market stall as she said I should probably try it.”
“So when I was down there at the market she let me face paint some kids and I became really good at it.”
Hope has already used her business to raise $3000 for the China trip. But $1000 is still needed for a passport, travel visas and spending money.
She says she hopes to go travel on the next trip Bendigo South East plans for China. While it’s too early to set a date, the trip will take place either at the end of 2016 or the year after.
She says the Great Wall of China and Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl TV Tower were already on her sight-seeing list.
“I want to see a different culture and experience what it is like to be in another country. And I think it’s probably something that not many people get to experience.”
Hope will be at this weekend’s Sunday Market at the Prince of Wales Showgrounds. To see a selection of Hope’s products, visit the Hope’s Handmade Hobbies Facebook page.
