By making puppets and using them, I aim to support the mental health for children throughout drama therapy.
Born in Assuit, Upper Egypt, the young Nayera Khaled said that this city has been a great role for her in shaping my personality and professional career as an art therapist. She received her bachelor degree in decor of performing arts from Assuit University’s college of fine arts. After graduation, she completed her studies to become an art therapist. Last year, she set up her startup Nero Puppets. OCHQ asked Nayera to understand the intrinsic motivation behind her startup.
Hi! Could you tell us about your startup?
“I believe in the power of social engaged arts. So in the beginning of 2021, I came up with the idea of starting my own social enterprise called “Nero Puppets” to underpin this idea. By making puppets and using them, I aim to support the mental health for children throughout drama therapy. Nero Puppets offers two types of products (marionette puppet and hand puppet) supplied with a small booklet for guidance. Through the storyline of a puppet play, the parents or teacher can actually discern if a children was sexually abused or bullied, and can subsequently reach out as to a specialist if needed.”
“Think globally, act locally, keep going, forget about negative, non-constructive feedback and be patient.”
Why did you choose that name for your startup?
“Nero is actually my nickname. I also find it funny, playful, and friendly for kids because they usually call their friends by their nicknames. So by taking myself as an example, I try to enhance the sense of connection and make my business memorable and demonstrate the passion that I loves, which is drama therapy by using puppets. Puppets are the type of product I present so the 2 words together represent my simple startup name.”
What inspired you to launch your startup?
I have been interested in children and children’s mental health since a young age. Children and young persons are a vulnerable age groups. I also love puppets and psychology, so with this startup I have tried to combine both of passions. I believe social engaged art entrepreneurship can provide a way for those children to verbalise and express what they feel and suffer from. Puppets also pave the way to enhance children’s imagination.”
“The Orange Corners programme enhanced our skills in many ways; writing our business plans, making our strategies to increase our market share and planning for successful marketing through offline and online channels.”
What do you aim to achieve for your community?
“I believe that the community is a big tree. Adults are the branches and kids are its roots. Many social enterprises focus on adults color the branches while the tree is still white; otherwise, if we water the tree’s roots with green colored water by the time the whole tree will turn green. This to say that the roots of the tree are extremely important, as child development will have a direct positive impact on a child’s long-term health outcomes. This is what I try to achieve. Children’s mental health is the focal point of my business. Understanding this, helps to avoid many problems in adulthood from occurring. I also want to build a safe space between parents and their children through playing together with puppets. I aim to launch more awareness campaigns through puppet theatre that focus on “storytelling”.
My puppets can help to support oral language skills and communication, social/emotional development, and help children learn and understand the world around them through safe, imaginative play.
I believe that social engaged arts are powerful tools for shaping children’s attitudes, developing child’s missing characteristics, and correcting misconceptions regarding issues such as disabled people, vitiligo, harassment, the environment, and bullying.”
How it is like to be an entrepreneur? What are the downsides and positive sides to it?
“Being an entrepreneur has its benefits and disadvantages. The benefits are freedom and flexibility; we can work when and where we want. The disadvantages are that you always carry a lot of responsibilities. Also, there is a lot of decision-making involved that may lead to stress. In the beginning of launching our startup, we also suffered from lack of money and staff, which we thankfully overcame.”
Puppets pave the way to enhance children’s imagination.
What did you think of the Orange Corners programme? Did it help your startup in any way?
“The Orange Corners programme enhanced our skills in many ways; writing our business plans, making our strategies to increase our market share and planning for successful marketing through offline and online channels.”
What are your objectives for the next two years?
“My goal for the upcoming two years is to be the first choice for parents when they buy puppets. My puppets can help to support oral language skills and communication, social/emotional development, and help children learn and understand the world around them through safe, imaginative play. Moreover, my puppets gives children the space to enjoy their time and to enhance their imagination, while for teachers it can facilitate and simplify the information they wish to teach to children.”
What advice would you give other budding entrepreneurs?
“My advice is to think globally, act locally, keep going, forget about negative, non-constructive feedback and be patient.”
I believe that social engaged arts are powerful tools for shaping children’s attitudes, developing child’s missing characteristics, and correcting misconceptions regarding issues such as disabled people, vitiligo, harassment, the environment, and bullying.
