#MEET "Talking" Trash Cans
This is a short interview we conducted with Preslava Petrova, the creator of "Talking" Trash Cans. If you like this project and would like to vote for it, click here.
1. Please, tell us a bit about yourself: where are you from and what is your background?
My name is Preslava and I am 19 years old. I live in the old capital of Bulgaria- Veliko Tarnovo. Bulgaria is situated on the Balkan Peninsula. A country with 13 centuries history. I study at Vocational High School of Tourism "Dr Vassil Beron". I am CEO of the school company BOYAR DREAMS. The school company is a model of real business. Our financing is from own sources which are in the amount of 5euro. Our school company has got 20 students /15-19 years old/. Through the programs of Junior Achievement Bulgaria, we acquire entrepreneurial skills. We are looking for a market niche, researching consumer demand, competition, suppliers, and markets, producing a product, selling and expecting profits. We donate 10% of our profits to our school. We have won national competitions in entrepreneurship and ecology. We know that we can best motivate young people to protect the Earth because we speak in one language. We are convinced that if we motivate them we would motivate their parents too. Earth is borrowed from the next generations. This obliges us to learn and teach others. To have us - today, tomorrow, ever. We believe that with our knowledge, we will be the generation that will be able to preserve the Earth.
2. Can you describe your idea or project in two sentences?
Our goal - To form an attitude in people towards the problem of separate waste collection and keep the nature clean. That’s why Our motto is: Play, learn, win. Because it is only in a game that a person enters with a smile, learns rules and always wins, at least smiles.
3. How did you get your idea or concept?
Our idea is caused by everyday life. Full waste bins, around them - scrapped waste; next to them - empty bins for separate waste collection. We decided that if we learn the children to throw their waste in the right place - the trash, we will also learn their parents. And this will be the first step towards separate waste collection. And as a final result - clean nature.
4. What is unique about your idea/project and how does it benefit mankind?
The unique is that by playing and smiling, are created habits to preserve nature because all humans live on planet Earth.
5. Describe yourself as an entrepreneur in one sentence
Optimist-dreamer. An optimist, because I know that if we all want one thing, we will achieve it. A dreamer, because every entrepreneurship idea was a dream in the beginning.
6. How do you deal with people that doubt your abilities/initiatives?
I motivate them. First I make them understand the sense of what they are doing. Then I make them love it. And then they start to create by themselves.
7. Where does your passion lie?
In my desire to know and to learn every day, even if it is only one new thing.
8. What are you afraid of or what keeps you up at night?
I can't sleep if I can't wipe the tears of a child and make it smile. I'm scared of the war because it could avoid. For me the war is just tears, for somebody else is a pile of money. I'm scared for that nature gives us its advice, but in these advices, so many people are dying - floods, hurricanes, etc.
9. According to you, money is a synonym for.....
Сommerce - of resources, of goods, of people. And it's going to be very well if people define their price, not somebody else.
10. If you could rid the world of three things, what would they be?
- War
- Diseases
- Natural disasters.
11. What are the benefits you take from the Entrepreneurship Campus?
The opportunity to share our ideas and our experience.
12. What do you like more about the Entrepreneurship Campus?
That we all young people think about the future as we solve defined a global problem. That means, that we realize our responsibility - the future depends on us.
13. Which idea/project do you like most?
The ones which target group are the kids.
14. Please, include a link to a video if you have one.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/hWLQC3VEgrM
NOTICE: If you want to see more submitted ideas and projects at the Youth Citizen Entrepreneurship Competition, visit BEST IDEAS and BEST PROJECTS and VOTE for the ones you think deserve to WIN the Competition!
