Zari Dyer loves children and gets paid taking care of them

By Zena Henry
The call for young people to develop their own businesses and rely on themselves for an income has been taken up by many who have sought to devise ways of becoming self-employed or seeking ways to make an extra dollar to add to their regular pay.
More importantly, however, young people are looking forward to doing something they love and getting paid well for it.
Take Zari Dyer of East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, for example, who decided to open Little Sprouts Daycare just over a year ago. The young woman, a trained professional in the area of child care services, was just not earning enough to take care of all her needs, and so she figured that she should invest in doing something she loved.
“First of all I love kids,” Dyer told the Guyana Chronicle, and so she landed a job in child care services. However, the pay was just not good enough, and she knew that if she opened her own daycare centre and run it efficiently, she would be better off.

Today, with the help of two other young women, Little Sprouts is growing and the feeling of accomplishment is a boost for the young businesswoman. Even more than that, the backbone of Little Sprouts is another young woman, 27-year-old Jowella Crawford, who is just as passionate as Dyer about child care services.
Crawford is the senior teacher at Little Sprouts and has been with school since its inception. Coincidentally, Dyer’s mother, a teacher, had taught Crawford in primary school and taught 18-year-old Juanacia Hinds, one of the newer teachers who just completed the child care course, in high school, bringing familial warmth to the business.
“I saved up the money to rent and pretty soon I was able to have a location for my upcoming daycare,” Dyer had stated, continuing with details as to how it all started.
Although the lower flat which she now rents at 338 East Street, North Cummingsburg belongs to her dad, Dyer was not keen on handouts, stressing on her ability to raise the money to make her property payment as any normal tenant.

While Dyer provides management services to her business, Crawford is trusted to ensure the day to day running of the school. Being a mother herself, Crawford said her love for children has seen her being employed mainly in the child care field, so it was not her first time caring for small children.
When the school first opened, she said, they were managing only six children, but after two months, the number slowly increased, standing at 14 pupils today. This is however nothing compared to what the young professionals can handle.

“We currently have 14 students but we have the capacity for 30 to 40 pupils,” Crawford said. The well laid out daycare consists of three rooms, one of which is a playroom, with toys and learning material; the other two rooms provide sleeping facilities. Smaller children are kept within sight.
Crawford said that there are many daycares in the city but Little Sprouts stands out because of the service they provide.
“Our kids are given a bath before they leave for home and they are potty trained and we conduct educational activities.” Crawford said that the centre follows childcare guidelines and they believe in educating their students.

Crawford said that Little Sprouts also encourages parents to feed their children healthy foods. The teacher, who is a mother herself said, “Some daycares accept aerated drinks, sweets, chocolate and those things but we ask our parents to give their kids real fruit, homemade juices and meals. We promote healthy foods to support healthy growth.”
Crawford is of the belief that no one should go into a business if they have no love for it.
“For me, owning a daycare is not just about owning a business; you have to be educated about it, you have to love it, be passionate about what you do or else it will make no sense. It will be just like working for someone else.”
Dyer is also of the belief that being passionate about something helps to make you a good business owner. She advises other young people seeking to own their own business to be patient and strategic in the way they go after what they want.

She said she has noticed that several young persons are going into business and, “I believe that is great.” The young woman said it is a wonderful feeling being independent and working hard, earning money while doing something one appreciates.
The benefits are plentiful, Crawford said, “especially when the profits start rolling in.”
Little Sprouts Daycare is seeking to raise the bar in child care services, to offer 24 hour service on weekdays, Saturday service and babysitting. Currently the centre offers child care services from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30p.m. They provide afterschool care services for school children. They are taught and helped with their homework.
Contact could be made with Zari Dyer on cell phone numbers 669-6663 or 6643690.