Shahzoda Aripkhodzhaeva
For the British Council's Big Idea Challenge, Shahzoda Aripkhodzhaeva was given the opportunity to transform her own life and the lives of others.
Students from Tashkent State University of Economics traditionally take part in projects and programmes organised by the British Council in Uzbekistan. So when the Big Idea Challenge was launched as part of the larger Creative Spark project, Shahzoda, a sophomore at the university with good English skills, already knew she wanted to participate.
“This competition offers the chance to develop your business experience while also strengthening your communication skills that affect the entire world, not just your own country. Considering the global challenges we faced in 2020, the trick was to present something innovative that could help us navigate the pandemic,”- Shahzoda said.
She came up with the idea of making stevia-sweetened cookies in Uzbekistan, which would be safe for diabetics, especially children, to eat.
"I emphasised the fact that this product will be mainly for children, as they love sweets. I also concentrated on online shopping, promoting our four dietary cookie varieties on social media channels," - Shahzoda explained.
The committee appreciated Shahzoda's attention to accessibility and practical considerations, such as sales, in their decision. The experts in Uzbekistan proclaimed her the winner of the competition.
But winning the prize was not the end of Shahzoda's entrepreneurial journey. Soon after, she participated in a mentorship programme to grow her entrepreneurial skills, joining winners of the Big Idea Challenge from around the world.
The programme was held online by teachers from the London Metropolitan University and was guided by two seasoned entrepreneurs. The participants learned about the winning innovations from other countries.
“Over the course of two weeks, we learned about the fundamentals of doing business, creating a go-to-market strategy and using market research tools. The training ended with participants presenting their own business plan. I was also helped by the mentor Lyubov Guk, a Ukrainian entrepreneur, in this process. It was an opportunity to share ideas and analyze in detail the possibilities of their implementation,” - Shahzoda recalled.
Despite Shahzoda's success in the British Council competition, she believes that the organization's other initiatives can assist other young people discover their true roles in life. “As a result, the British Council's programmes cater to a wide range of interests among our nation's youth. The main idea behind the Big Idea Challenge was to use entrepreneurial thinking to make other people’s lives better, for example socially vulnerable people,” - Shahzoda noted.
As the organization marks its 25th year of operations in Uzbekistan, Shahzoda hopes the British Council will continue to support young people in its efforts to improve their lives. "I would like to encourage the British Council to develop further because its projects truly inspire young people. An excellent illustration of this is what I've learned in the process of becoming an entrepreneur myself,” she concludes.