I backpacked through Africa many years ago and made friends with a couple of enterprising kids.
First one was a 15 year old in Vic Falls, Zimbabwe who was selling souvenirs to tourists but wanted to set up a bike hire business. I bought a whole heap of his souvenir necklaces etc for US$500, which I shipped back to oz and sold later on at flea markets when I got home, netting me about $1.5k. He took his $500, bought a few bikes, started up the business and within 1 year had 30 bikes, the biggest bike hire business in Vic Falls and was providing for his entire extended family, employing his friends etc. I used to get photos and letters all the time. Lost touch with him now, he would be about 30, so I don't know what happened to him now that the country has gone down the toilet but knowing him I reckon he'd be allright, just needed a start.
2nd one was another kid about 12 selling souvenirs in Malawi, similar story, he told me his vision for his future: sell souvenirs to save up until he can get a passport & drivers licence & work as a driver for one of the tourist operators. Same thing, bought/ordered a heap of handcarved tables, chairs, necklaces from him, paid him up front, he sent the stuff to oz & he was away. A few years later he achieved his goal of drivers licence, passport & a job with Kumuka Tours. Lost touch with him too, about 3 years ago was the last I heard, he had 2 kids with a third on the way and was away a lot but family was all well provided for etc, a rarity in Malawi.
These sorts of things are dead easy to set up in the third world where red tape and rules about trading and business are minimal. Find the right people and you're laughing. I could have pursued this as a serious business if I wanted to but I was on holiday and it was more about getting some very smart and enterprising people a start.
