THE economic downtown that came with the covid19 pandemic has made entrepreneurs out of many, even children like 11-year-old K'den Saunders.
The Sacred Heart Boys' RC student, who enters standard five when the new school term begins in September, spoke with Newsday Kids at his home in Woodstar Villas, Bon Air South, Arouca, where he runs his business.
K'den began making and selling cloth masks, then moved on to selling face shields.
"I started selling the masks a few weeks after covid19 lockdown (in March) because they were in high demand. It felt like a good opportunity to help people and make a profit."
Cheering him on was his proud mother, Farrona Saunders-Samuel, who gave him gentle reminders of milestones on his journey.

K'den, who plays hockey with QPCC, said he took an online course that his mother found on Facebook which taught children about entrepreneurship. He learned about target marketing and business management from the course – Kids MBA – which ran for three weeks in July.
With this new knowledge, he moved from sewing and selling cloth masks, which he learnt to do from his mother and grandmother, Lucy Saunders, to purchasing and re-selling face shields. He still makes and sells the face masks which costs $15 each, however, as an astute kid-preneur, he has learnt it is more efficient to retail the face shields which costs between $20 to $50 each.
"The face shield is more convenient to wear because you don't have this mask covering your face whole day."
"I also buy and sell toys for kids my age. I liked the course because it taught me the whole idea of creating a business. The name of the business is Click For Anything. I wasn't sure what to sell so I said we can sell everything, so that's the name."
The Kids MBA was challenging, he said, adding that "Mondays and Tuesdays I had no time for myself because it was courses whole day." The rest of the week, he had one course from 2 to 5 pm. In the end, it all paid off.
Saunders-Samuel said the family is in the process of registering the business and has already done a name search. On Tuesday, she has to visit the Ministry of Legal Affairs in Port of Spain, one step closer to having her son's business approved.
K'den, who wants to be a pilot, said he " felt really proud" when he made his first sale. 
His message for other children? "Reach for the stars. You can be a child and still be a businessman."
By the way, K'den also has a green thumb. Tired of going to the market, "with this one", he said, pointing over his shoulder to his mother, he began a kitchen garden. He has planted tomatoes, corn, string beans, peppers, celery, lettuce and seasonings.
With his business getting off the ground, K'den says he can't wait to get back to school.
"I don't like how covid19 is killing people, but staying home can drive people mad. I have never been away from school for so long and I am ready to get back to school and see my friends."
Anyone who wants to support K'den can visit his Facebook page Click For Anything.

The Right Honourable Baroness Valerie Amos CH PC, has been appointed as the new Master of University College, Oxford University, and will take up the post from 1 August 2020.
The Baroness will be both the first female Master of University College, Oxford, and the first black head of any Oxford college.
The current Director of University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, Baroness Amos’ career has also included serving as international development secretary and as leader of the House of Lords from 2003-2007.
A champion of equality and humanitarianism throughout her career, the Baroness has been a Labour Life Peer since 1997, and she has played a key role in tackling workplace discrimination and enabling international emergency relief efforts. 
She has served as both Executive of the Equal Opportunities Commission, and an adviser to the Mandela Government on leadership and change management issues. She was also UK High Commissioner to Australia before joining the UN in 2010, as Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the UN, from 2010-2015. She was made a Companion of Honour in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for her services to the United Nations and emergency relief in conflict areas. 

Baroness Amos said: 'I am honoured to have been appointed as Master of University College Oxford. I look forward to taking up my role next year and joining a community which prides itself on providing an outstanding scholarly environment, excellent teaching and world-class research. Univ has been engaged in opening up access and opportunity through its Opportunity Programme and I also look forward to making a contribution to that work.
Professor Peter Jezzard, Vice-Master of University College, said: 'The College was fortunate in attracting a number of outstanding applicants to become its next Master to follow Sir Ivor Crewe in his distinguished tenure in the role. The Governing Body is excited that Baroness Amos agreed to accept our invitation to take on the role from next summer, and we very much look forward to welcoming her to the College and to working with her in the future. She brings a wealth and diversity of experience to the role, including a deep knowledge of the higher education sector, and will help us continue Univ’s outstanding reputation for excellence, access and innovation in Oxford.'
* Baroness Amos will step down from her current post at University of London when she begins her Mastership position at University College.

​Her cells are responsible for the polio vaccine, gene mapping and in vitro fertilization to name a few. But for a long time most of the public didn't know her contribution to modern medicine. Neither did she because her cells were harvested without her consent.
This year, the Smithsonian unveiled a portrait of Henrietta Lacks, the black tobacco farmer who ended up changing the world. Her cells have allowed for advances in cancer treatment, AIDS research, cloning, stem-cell studies and so much more. They traveled to the moon to test the effects of zero gravity, and scientists have sold and purchased them by the billions.
The oil-on-linen work, "Henrietta Lacks (HeLa): The Mother of Modern Medicine" will hang inside one of the main entrances of the National Portrait Gallery through November.
No other painted portrait of Lacks existed before this, said Dorothy Moss, the curator of painting and sculpture at the National Portrait Gallery. Lacks died in 1951 at the age of 31 from an aggressive form of cervical cancer. During her treatment, a surgeon cut cells from her cervix. Those cells became the first human cell line to reproduce outside the body. They came to be known as HeLa cells and became invaluable to medical researchers.
Little was known about Lacks' impact on modern medicine outside the medical community until author Rebecca Skloot wrote a book about it in 2010.The New York Times best-selling book, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks," introduced Lacks -- and what she did for medicine -- to the world. An HBO film by the same name, starring Oprah Winfrey, helped disseminate her story further. 
For more information about Henrietta Lacks, click here or copy this URL into your browser ​https://www.cnn.com/2017/04/21/health/henrietta-lacks-legacy/index.html