A UK boy started selling plants outside his father’s office at 6; at 13, his small business helps pay his £4,000-a-term school fees | World News
A 13-year-old boy living in Surrey, England began selling plants outside his father’s office at the age of 6, and has now turned that early venture into a business that helps pay his £4,000-a-term school fees. ‘Malaki Conteh’ first started selling to raise money for singing lessons because he wanted to become a chorister. What began with plants gradually expanded into other products before developing into a ‘Caribbean food business.’ His success has allowed him to contribute towards his education while also achieving his original musical ambition. As reported by ‘Get Surrey,’ Malaki’s journey from a small pavement stall to running businesses has made him one of the UK’s youngest entrepreneurs. His story is rooted in persistence, family support and an early lesson that achieving a personal ambition can require hard work and initiative. By his early teens, the small venture had grown far beyond the original plant stall.
UK teenager turn selling plants into a business that helps pay £4,000-a-term school fees
Malaki’s business journey began with his ambition to become a ‘chorister.’ According to Get Surrey, he became interested in choristers after watching them on YouTube when he was 6 years old. When he asked his father about taking singing lessons, he was told that he would need to save the money himself. Rather than giving up on the idea, Malaki began growing and selling plants outside his father Abdul Conteh’s offices in Camberwell. He also sold belongings he no longer needed. The venture later expanded to include bread and cakes before moving into food. Later, his business operated from premises beneath his father’s office in Crystal Palace, selling Caribbean food including jerk chicken, patties and cakes.The business allowed Malaki to pursue the ambition that inspired it. Get Surrey reported that he became the ‘first Black chief chorister’ in the nearly 1,000-year history of Chichester Cathedral. His earnings have also helped contribute towards his £4,000-per-term school fees. He is a full-time boarder at The Prebendal School in Chichester, West Sussex. The money he earned also helped him make personal purchases. According to the report, Malaki raised £778 by selling plants on Facebook to buy two violas. His father said that he had also bought other musical instruments with money he had earned himself.
Malaki Conteh is Chichester Cathedral’s first black chief chorister. Image Credit: Pip Barclay/Triframe Productions
Family support helped Malaki turn his food business into a growing venture
Although Malaki owns the business, his family provides important support. Get Surrey reports that Abdul manages the shop while Malaki is at school and reports back to him, while Malaki remains involved in decisions about the business. His father described him as a serious businessman. A neighbour pays £65 a month to park a large vehicle in the family’s driveway, with the money going into Malaki’s scholarship account. The ‘Express’ reported that Malaki was running ‘three businesses’ at the age of 13, showing how far his entrepreneurial interests had progressed since his first plant stall.
How does Malaki use his business earnings to support charities and others
Malaki does not use all of his earnings for himself. Get Surrey reports that he donates part of his profits to various charities. His journey began with a straightforward challenge of funding singing lessons. Selling plants outside his father’s office provided the starting point. The venture then developed through different products and eventually into a food business. Malaki’s story shows how a childhood effort to fund a musical ambition developed into a wider entrepreneurial journey that now contributes towards his education and supports charitable causes.
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