No doubt all of us had dreams when we were kids of one day becoming heroes. However, some of us found bigger and better ambitions in life, while many others got to make a change in the world and become heroes only when they grew up. Yet there are others who never got to live the dream at all.
Fortunately, though, there are stories in this world that serve to once again remind us that it’s never too early or too late to make an impact on the world around us.
Meet Obocho, an 11YO boy from New York City who runs his own thrift store that helps low-income families
Image credits: GoFundMe
Meet Obocho Peters, an 11-year-old boy from Brooklyn, New York. He is the CEO and President of Obocho’s Closet, a thrift store that sells baby and children’s clothing and footwear at an affordable price for low-income families.
Oh, wait, there’s more. On top of making clothing more affordable, Obocho’s business venture also aims to help low-income families learn how to save money by providing free financial literacy seminars. This would empower them to prepare for their children’s college or the pursuit of other life goals.
Obocho got the idea to sell clothes when his mom told him she can’t afford Avengers Infinity Wars toys for him
Image credits: GoFundMe
Obocho drew inspiration for this idea one day after asking his mother, Sasha, to get him some Avengers Infinity Wars toys. Unfortunately, she couldn’t afford them and explained to him the financial hardship she had been going through.
It was then that Obocho had an idea to try and sell his unused clothing and shoes to finance his toys. This immediately led him to the realization that there must be other families who are probably going through these same challenges when taking care of kids.
He first sold his own unneeded clothes, then began selling clothes and shoes donated by others
Image credits: Obocho Peters
And thus the idea quickly turned into a mission that Obocho applies to his business—to help the community grow and prosper. Obocho shared the idea with his mother, who enrolled him in a small business course.
The business started off online back in 2018 under the name of Obocho’s Closet, when Obocho decided to sell the clothes he didn’t need any more. It wasn’t long until he began selling donated clothes for under 10 dollars, making it available to low-income families.
Obocho was awarded the Hero of the Month award by the Brooklyn Borough President for his idea
Image credits: Obocho Peters
This led to Obocho organizing a GoFundMe campaign that would allow him to open up a physical location in New York City. He has managed to raise over 13,000 dollars. Besides covering all of the operating costs of the store, the money would also be used for vendor licenses, promotions, and to fund the financial literacy seminars completely free of charge to anyone interested.
Obocho worked very hard on making this a reality—to such an extent, in fact, that his work netted him the Hero of the Month Award back in June of 2019. Eric Adams, the President of the Brooklyn Borough, awarded him with this honor for his sense of obligation to give back to the community.
What first started as an online store, now has physical premises in New York City
Image credits: Obocho Peters
His mother cannot be prouder of him, explaining that Obocho’s example shows other kids that the sky’s the limit and age is just a number at this point. He has been putting in a lot of work, speaking at schools and big events, and promoting his dream, all the while still going to school and managing the store.
It’s still possible to donate and you can also follow Obocho on his Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Here’s a video by GoFundMe that briefly presents Obocho and his idea
Image credits: GoFundMe
What are your thoughts on Obocho the Kidtrepreneur’s idea? Let us know in the comments below!
Here’s what people on the internet thought about this idea
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