KUWAIT: While some people depend on government salaries to cover their living expenses, a number of Kuwaiti youngsters have sought alternative modes of income by turning their passions into lucrative businesses. Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) met with several youngsters who expressed their deep desire to break the mold and to embody the saying "If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life”. Art studio owner, Dalal Al-Hashel said that she was proud to be one of the first in Kuwait to open a space dedicated to ‘latte art’- a discipline focusing on creating art from pouring micro-foams into cups of coffee.
Al-Hashel revealed that she began her quest in 2021 starting women-only classes in latte art, which proved to be very popular and lucrative. Meanwhile, coffee roastery owner Fawaz Nasser said that the initial seeds for his business were conceptualized during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown. Post-lockdown measures, Nasser and his partner traveled abroad to gain experience and once back home, started their own coffee roastery business.
"There were many trials I faced due to being a youth and not having the necessary capital to open the business,” said Nasser who had to take a bank loan to kick-start his quest to provide top notch coffee for clients. Similarly, Yasmeen Mohammad, a ceramic and clay artist, indicated that she did not know that her passion for her art would lead her to open a business. Prior to pursuing her dream, Yasmeen was a government employee who took a leap of faith by quitting her day job and opening a shop at home. The home business was followed by a shop opening, which then turned into a showroom where she provides classes in ceramic and clay art for anyone interested in the activity. Speaking about such ventures, several members of the public have expressed their support. Abu Yousef, a 74-year-old senior citizen, gave his approval and support to the youth saying that what they were doing was not very far from what the old generation used to pursue in terms of hard work and determination. Um Manal, another senior citizen, expressed pride in the youngsters’ dreams of a better future, saying that his son was a car mechanic who left his government job to follow his passion, adding that his shop employs both Kuwaitis and residents. -- KUNA