Nigerian made pinata is produced by 13-year old Osagiede

Tell us about yourself

My name is Eseosa David Osagiede, I am 13 years old and I am from Edo state in Nigeria, my company name is David Arts Gucci creation.

What business do you do?

The type of business I do is making of PINIATA for parties mainly children’s parties, and also for bridal showers and baby showers.

When did you start your business?
I actually started this business in March 2017 in Abuja.

Can you please describe what PINIATA is all about and how it all started?

Piniata involves putting different materials together to get a design, children try to pick some goodies inside because it is packed with different goodies inside which the children cannot see but they know it is inside the piniata, so they take turns hitting it because the piniata also has a sticks, so the strongest opens it up with the stick and all the goodies which may include sweets, chocolates and other items like little toys fall out, the children now excitingly take what they can grab. This really makes the children excited and active in parties, and thus makes me happy.

I choose this business because I love creativity and I love using my hands to create things wherever I go to. It is like a custom to me. When I see something, I like to assemble it and use it to form something useful.

It is one of the most colourful part of birthday parties in Nigeria and in every other part of the world for example when my younger sister was about to celebrate her birthday, she wanted a frozen-themed party, and of course she also insisted there must be a frozen piniata which she sees on Disney channel.

My mother searched the whole of Abuja and couldn’t get any frozen character piniata. So my sister felt bad, I had to bring in my creativity. I told my mum i could do it.

She wasn’t convinced, so I told her all the materials to get for me and when I finished everybody in the party was asking where we bought it from that it looked so nice. That was my very first piniata I ever made which also gave birth to this piniata line of business. People were so surprised and immediately my mother’s friend ordered one for her baby’s first birthday.

With the way you described PINIATA, it is a complex craft to design, who helps with your designs?

I design them myself. Usually when the person that orders wants to have a party with a particular character, for example: Spiderman, Barbie, and so on, I usually visualise what shape will fit that character before I cut out the shape and so also put together other
materials.

Wow! So, how and where do you get materials you use in making PINIATA?
I usually go to the market to sort out for the necessary items including gum, a particular type of paper (coloured soft papers), scissors for my designs, I also have my measuring tape because you need to measure the board you are using to get the actual size of the character you have visualised, then I paste the particular character on the finished work.

You seem to be so familiar with this product, how much have you made so far?

So far I have made the sum of #76,000 in this business of mine.

Who are your customers?
My customers for now are from family and friends.

How do you advertise your products?

I usually tell them I make piniata when they come to my house. I show them a sample of what I have made when it’s their birthday they make orders; I also just started advertising on instagram using the name David Arts Gucci Creation.

What do you do with the profit you make?

I first of all pay my Tithe in church and save the remaining.

What are your challenges in the business

My challenges for now are funding and publicity

Where do you see yourself in the next five years

In the next five years i see myself owning the very first company where piniata is being produced and distributed to retailers who are also into party stuffs because just this item alone brings excitement when children see it in parties and also; arrange training for those young ones like me who have a flare for creativity.

What is your advice for kids who want to be entrepreneurs like you?

My advice for teenagers like myself is that little drops of water makes a mighty ocean and also whatever talent God has blessed you with, don’t be reluctant to show it to the world as this will affect people positively and also encourage them.