Putting skills into practice: enterprise students use care
Two friends are making student life a little more surprising with their personalised care packages.
University of Auckland students Nawaz Ahmed and Sandanee Samarakoon created a business called Kimera, which allows parents and friends to send a box of handpicked items to students around the country.
Since launching in February last year the Mt Roskill residents have filled, packaged and shipped more than 300 boxes.
Customers can either buy a package or buy a subscription for more regular deliveries.
The business’s name is a play on the genetic term ‘‘chimera’’, which describes a mix of genetic material that makes up an organism. The care packages contain a mix of items such as food, drinks, cosmetics, stationary and accessories, and other items that match the receiver’s interests.
Kimera fills boxes with items from local businesses and two international businesses – one from Australia and the other from the United States. Each box costs $30 per month.
The pair had always wanted to work together, and, being students themselves, wanted to create something that catered to students, Samarakoon said.
‘‘University can be stressful at times and it can be very hard for people who aren’t living with their families. These boxes are a little pick-me-up.’’
Boxes were especially popular in Wellington, she said.
Kimera recently passed its oneyear mark and it was still exciting for the pair to ship even just one box, she said.
Ahmed said they loved it when students tagged Kimera in Instagram posts after receiving their boxes.
Having spoken to parents, he said many had expressed how they were not always sure what products their children liked or needed. Sending care packages was a way for families to connect with their children when they were away from home, he said.
With students heading back to school, it was great to see customers returning to Kimera, Ahmed said.
The pair both studied bioscience enterprise and it was good to put some of the skills they had learnt into practice, he said.
‘‘We’ve learnt a lot in the past year from the feedback we’ve gotten. We’re always wanting to make Kimera better.’’
In future, the pair hoped to make their boxes more personalised and wanted to expand to Australia, he said.
"University can be stressful at times … These boxes are a little pick-me-up." Sandanee Samarakoon