Ver Vivian, the drink merchant

My name is Ver Vivian. I hail from Benue State. I am 16 years old, and I am a passionate young entrepreneur.

I engage in making healthy and refreshing smoothies, and such fruit and vegetable drinks as Tiger nut, Beetroot and Bitter, among others.

I started this business when I was just 12 years old. I was in junior secondary school with my mom. The story behind it is quite funny, but I will say a little part of it.

It happened that during the rainy season of this particular year, we had lots of mangoes on the tree.

On that fateful day, my dad wanted some mangoes and he climbed the tree to pluck them.

The mangoes were so many that if we had left them without eating them, they would have got spoilt. So, my mum and I decided to peel, blend them and preserve them in the fridge.

Interestingly, that very day, a lot of people came to our house, asking if we sell sachet water. And since we were not selling water, we offered them the mango fruits. They loved it and asked for more. That triggered the idea, and that was it. The journey started from then and here we are.

The name of the business is Jarilin and it is coined from the combination of my name and that of my siblings. The first letter stands for Jesus. My mum actually wanted that there.

Of course, no business exists without challenges, but what matters most is perseverance.

One of the challenges I have is the process of making drinks that contain Tiger nuts. The stress involved in bringing out what is needed from it is much.

Again, getting bottles from the producing companies and other materials used are stressful.

There are other problems besides this, but we aren’t giving up. With zeal and passion, I keep going. And this is what matters most.

Combining the business and school has not been that difficult. The business actually started when I was on holiday for four to five months.

So, I was doing it before resumption, and it was easy then because I was free. Upon resumption, I had the support of my mother.

However, when my mother was involved in a road accident, my uncle took it up from her. They are just so supportive because they wanted the business to survive.

My role models are my mummy, my aunt (Jessica) and Uncle Oni. I have learnt so much from them and have put all what I’ve learned from them into practice. And because I am their investment, I always have it in the mind to make them proud.

I believe my business is solving health problems. The recipes of my drinks are very nourishing.

For instance, Tiger nut helps with men’s reproductive system. Beetroot also helps in reducing high blood pressure.

Basically, all fruits are medicinal, especially the skin, which we blend together in making our drinks.

In addition, ginger and garlic, which are antibiotics, are medicinal and good for the body. All these are also added in my drinks. In short, we help prevent health related issues with our drinks.

We get customers from various outlets that I supply my products. I also get customers from referrals.

I also have my business card, which makes contacting me easy. We make supplies for such events as conferences, birthday and wedding parties, among others

In as much as we make good, hygienic drinks and quality products, we are making money from it. Good input for sure gives good output, all things being equal.

My vision for the business is to make sure Jarilin expands. We plan to make as many customers as possible. We also plan to make high sales and ensure our products take a stand, so that my mom can fully take charge. By then, the business must have really taken root, when I shall get busy with other things

To my peers out there, I would like to say, ‘get started now. The future is now. We don’t know how much we can do until we start. Be committed and consistent. I believe we will get there. Don’t give up.