Tabeer, Enterprise Challenge

Mindful of the extra challenges deaf people can face in finding employment, Tabeer’s ambitions are focused on entrepreneurship.

This year, Enterprise Challenge Pakistan reached deaf students for the first time. Tabeer, 17, and his Paper Planet team took second place in the national finals, securing £1,000 in seed funding for their business idea of recycling waste paper into greeting cards and gift boxes.

Tabeer has been keen on entrepreneurship since he was a young child. As a Deaf student who uses sign language to communicate, he explains that it is harder for deaf people to find jobs than for hearing people, so he has always been interested in the idea of being his own boss.

‘Deaf people can do more than just jobs. We can run businesses and aim higher,’ Tabeer explains. ‘Business is good. It helps us earn better for ourselves, our family and community.’

Tabeer signed up to the Enterprise Challenge Pakistan programme to build his skillset and give himself the best chance of success in the business world.

Skills for success

Enterprise Challenge Pakistan is an inter-school business competition aimed at developing young people’s entrepreneurship skills. A joint initiative from King’s Trust International and SEED Ventures, the programme was offered in almost 100 schools across Pakistan in 2022/23.

Enterprise Challenge enables students to learn practical business skills through coaching, mentoring and an online business simulation game. As part of the programme’s hands-on approach to learning, teams of teenagers also design, develop and pitch their own business idea – concentrating on enterprises with a positive social and environmental impact.

The teams with the strongest pitches compete against other schools in a public competition, presenting to a judging panel of business and industry leaders. Tabeer’s school, which caters exclusively for deaf students, took part for the first time this year – and finished as runners-up.

Shaping the future

At the finals event, Tabeer and his Paper Planet team took the stage and presented their concept, with a sign language interpreter. They highlighted the deforestation and pollution caused by paper production, and showcased how recycled products can help to save trees and resources.

The team explained how they plan to collect waste paper from local offices and factories, shred it and then soak it in water with some added fibres, to make a pulp. They will then shape the pulp into handmade cards and gift products for sale.

‘We’ll definitely sell our products through our school and also we’ve seen these products in shopping malls where they have a separate section for handmade products, so we can distribute our products there as well,’ Tabeer explains.

Enterprise Challenge Pakistan has a strong focus on learning by doing, and Tabeer’s efforts included researching and segmenting target audiences for their product, and networking with local business owners to learn about profit-generating business models.

As a prize-winner, Tabeer’s learning journey continues, with ongoing mentor support to help him and his team explore and progress their concept in real life.