aisha
Aisha's Final Assignment Process
Aisha is 14 years old, Somali-Canadian, from Ottawa.
When I got to the final assignment, I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. I had put so much work into my project — a Somali language and culture program for second-generation Somali-Canadian youth in Ottawa — and now it was time to bring it all together.
Here is how I worked through each part.
Part 1: Revising My Lean Canvas
I went back to my Lean Canvas and realized there were a few sections I had not thought through carefully enough. The biggest gap was my revenue streams — I had originally written "donations and community events" but I had never been specific about how much I would need or where exactly that money would come from.
I also revisited my customer segments. I had been thinking mostly about students aged 13–18. But when I talked to a few community members, I realized that parents were just as important — they are the ones who would enrol their kids and spread the word. So I added parents of Somali-Canadian youth as a secondary customer segment.
For impact measurement, I added three metrics I would track:
- Number of students enrolled each semester
- Average self-reported confidence in speaking Somali (measured by a simple survey before and after)
- Percentage of students who continue after their first semester
Refining my canvas made my whole project feel more solid. I could see where the gaps were — and filling them in made the project feel more real.
Part 2: Writing My Business Plan
Writing the one-page business plan was challenging at first because I kept wanting to write more. But forcing myself to stay concise was actually helpful — it made me prioritize what really matters.
For my financial projections, I kept them realistic:
- Start-up costs: ~$5,000 (rent for a small community space for one month, basic materials, printing)
- Monthly operating costs: ~$1,000 (space rental, instructor stipend, materials)
- Funding sources: youth grants from the City of Ottawa, small registration fees on a sliding scale (no one turned away for inability to pay), community fundraising events
I was proud of how I handled the ethical section. I wrote that my program would never turn away a student because of their family's ability to pay — and that all teaching would respect and honour Somali cultural traditions, not just the language.
Part 3: Recording My Pitch Video
Recording the video was the scariest part. I practised my pitch at least six times before I recorded it. The first two tries were terrible — I spoke too fast and forgot what I was going to say halfway through.
By the fourth practice, I had found my rhythm. I spoke directly to the camera and imagined I was talking to a small committee of community leaders who genuinely cared about Somali youth in Ottawa. That mindset helped me speak from the heart instead of reciting memorized lines.
My pitch opening: "My name is Aisha. I am 14 years old, and I am Somali-Canadian. Growing up, I watched my cousins lose their Somali language because there was nowhere to learn it and practise it. I want to build a place where that does not have to happen to any more kids like us."
After that opening, I felt calm — because I was telling a story I genuinely cared about.
Next: See Aisha's full business plan and pitch script.