Woman opens childcare centre at the age of 22
ALOR SETAR: Perseverance has been the key to a young entrepreneur’s success, in building her childcare centre business that has been growing steadily for the past four years.
With a strong spirit and willingness to take the risks, Nabilah Ahmad Nawi, 26, set up the “Pusat Jagaan Bintang Kecil” here when she was just 22 years old after completing a diploma in early childhood education from Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (Unitar).
“Soon after graduating in 2015, I gained some related experiences by working at a kindergarten before starting my own childcare business a year later,” she told Bernama recently.
The Perlis-born woman started her business without applying for a bank loan, instead, she utilised her own savings from running a mobile spa and beauty product services.
“The main challenge was working capital, I started on a small scale with only five children and one teacher. Over time, more children enrolled.
“I was only 22 years old when I took the risk to open this childcare centre. The reason I did not ask my parents for money was that we are not from a wellto-do family. My father is just a paddy farmer,” she said, adding that her centre is registered with the Department of Social Welfare (JKM).
The second of five siblings said her family, especially her mother Zainab Din, 55, and her husband, an army personnel who is currently posted in Lebanon for a year, have been her pillar of strength to face all sorts of challenges and life difficulties.
“Last year was my toughest year. I experienced multiple challenges, including problematic workers and children not showing up. I also have to deal with too many competition that weighed me down and I almost gave up,” she said.
Now, Nabilah is able to take pride in her hard work as her childcare centre is growing with four teaching staff to handle some 50 pupils.
“However, for the time being, as we are on the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) period, we only have 25 children aged four and six from morning to noon. Later, when schools reopen, there will be more children.
“The centre also serves as a transit for working parents to send their children after they are done with school up until 6.30 pm,” she explained.
She has taken all the necessary steps to comply with the standard operating procedures (SOPs) set by the government during RMCO including the one-metre social distancing and ensuring the children are in a good health before entering the centre.
On her future plan, Nabilah hopes to open a kindergarten.