The story of a 12-year-old girl who managed to buy an iPhone 14 by selling homemade bread in her school became viral on social media last week.
Bianca Wariyava is a Grade 7 student who, in her young age, was able to purchase her dream phone by utilizing her talents in baking with the help of her chef parents.
In an interview with The Filipino Times, Bianca shares with us how this viral story started and how it sparked the entrepreneur in her.
She shared that she wanted to upgrade her phone because the one she had been previously using for four years was having technical issues but at the time, her parents didn’t have enough budget to buy her a new one.
Thinking of a better way to buy her dream phone without compromising their monthly budget, Bianca thought of a smart and fun plan — selling homemade breads at a reasonable price in her school.
“My family and I sold oreo bread, cheese, ube, turkey salami, and plain soft rolls for 10 dirhams. We sold five plain pieces, four of either cheese, ube, or oreo, three turkey salami, and two chicken franks,” Bianca said.
Her parents work as chefs at a five-star hotel in Dubai, and with just a small oven in their humble home, they were able to help their daughter bake these breads.
“My parents and I worked for one and a half months to make 2,600 dirhams. The cost of the phone was 2,960 dirhams from Amazon. The remaining funds were contributed by my father so I could purchase my iPhone,” she explained.
However, the process of selling homemade breads in her school wasn’t easy. Students in Bianca’s school made fun of her and even questioned her status in life for selling pastries.
“Some of the other students teased me because they expected their parents would purchase them phones, whereas I had to work hard to pay for mine. I didn’t care what they said because I wanted to concentrate on my goal of purchasing a phone,” she said.
On the other hand, some students were in awe of Bianca’s resourcefulness.
“I was defended by the students who usually buy bread by pointing out how much effort goes into preparing it and how good it tastes,” she added.
Documenting this whole process in her vlogs, her story was quickly picked up by media outlets in the UAE and in other countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Asking Bianca how she felt when her story has gone viral, she said: “I am overjoyed that my story has gone viral. I’m grateful to God, my parents, family, friends, classmates, neighbors, co-workers of my dad who supported us throughout this journey, and those who patronized our products.”
Her mom, Gemini, is a proud parent after seeing how her daughter persevered to go after what she wants.
“As parents, we always encourage and direct Bianca in the right path. We were happy that she had been able to buy her own dream iPhone as a result of her hard work. We want her to understand the value of money at her young age and that if you want something, you have to work hard for it. This story is not intended to brag, but rather to inspire future generations that anything is possible with hard work,” she said.
With this kind of mindset, the future of entrepreneurship for Bianca looks bright. In fact, she did not hesitate to say that she has a lot of dreams, but entrepreneurship is surely on the table.
“When I grow up, I want to continue the legacy of my parents being a chef and if God permits us to have a capital to start a coffee shop or bakery. But I’m not closing the doors to other possibilities as I’d also consider a job as an entrepreneur. However, I also enjoy singing and swimming, and I also have being a flight attendant in mind,” she said.
Having success on this venture, Bianca reminds teenagers like her that anyone can fulfil their dreams regardless of age.
“When a door opens, it is a gift from God. It’s okay if a door shuts because there are so many other options. You should try and try again, but never give up. Resilience is a quality you need to have if you want to achieve your goals,” she concluded.
Bianca’s story has served as an inspiration to many, not just in the UAE but across the globe. Her determination and hard work at such a young age have shown that anything is possible with the right skills, mindset, and support.
