(Picture caption: William Folau of Hastings Boys’ High School showcases his 'otai at a local market.)
Many an entrepreneurial dream has manifested from the annual Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) competition.
This year, 67 Pacific teams from secondary schools around New Zealand Aotearoa are showcasing their business start-ups.
Each YES company creates their own product or service and brings this to market, which is then judged at the end of the year, at regional and national level competitions.
Currently, the 2022 YES teams are promoting and selling their businesses, at various marketplaces set up specifically for the scheme by YES partners, including the likes of Auckland Business Chamber.
Teams will get to showcase their goods at regional competitions in early November, followed by Nationals, on December 6, in Wellington.
From now until Nationals, we will be profiling some of the innovative Pacific YES teams.
Inu Meihe Motu
Inu Meihe Motu, which means drink from the islands in English, is a small Young Enterprise business producing and selling 'otai, a traditional drink from the Kingdom of Tonga.
William Folau of Hastings Boys’ High School created Inu Meihe Motu, designed to promote and spread cultural appreciation within its school and community as well as fundraising money for Tupou College in Tonga.
Tonga and its people are still struggling to recover, months after the tsunami struck in January, so William is donating 20 percent of his proceeds to the fundraiser account opened by Hastings Boys' College.
Follow this business with a cause on Instagram: @inu_meihe_motu.