Meet Bailey:
Bailey Cherry is a high school student from Hong Kong. She is CEO and founder of a non-profit social enterprise, “reBooked“, which provides a platform to promote sustainability in literacy. Established in 2019, “reBooked” is now Hong Kong's largest used children's bookstore.
What causes are important to you and to young people today, and why?
I think the main causes that are important to young people today can be divided into three categories: the environment, inclusion and education. As young people continue to see and experience the effects of our actions on the rest of the world, we are encouraged to be environmentally conscious and to make a difference. Secondly, I believe that with globalization and the world becoming increasingly connected through technology, inclusion and acceptance of others is a value for many. Finally, many of us are also passionate about the accessibility of education. Learning and access to school help us acquire skills and knowledge that are useful for making an impact on our communities.
What difficulties did you face at the start of everything? How did you overcome them?
One of the difficulties we encountered was the COVID-19 issue. In the early days of reBooked, to collect book donations, I would go directly to donors' homes to collect the books. I also personally delivered the books to our buyers. However, due to COVID-19, it was not advisable to travel. To overcome this difficulty, we adapted our business model and started using courier services to collect and distribute the books. Not only was this change relevant at the time of COVID-19, but it remains a highly effective business model.
Finally, another challenge I face is managing my personal time. As a team of full-time students, we all have our share of studies, activities and social life in addition to reBooked! We have to find the right balance to manage our different commitments, while knowing that we can't do everything.
What projects are you currently working on? What challenges are you and your organization facing today?
The project I'm currently working on is reBooked. The aim of reBooked is to promote the sustainability of literacy by encouraging the reuse of children's books. In less than two years, ReBooked has collected over 50,000 children's books, preventing them from ending up directly in one of Hong Kong's landfills. ReBooked has also collaborated with various community partners to share the pleasure of reading with other young children in Hong Kong. With an online store and a retail store, ReBooked is Hong Kong's largest used children's bookstore.
Since the launch of ReBooked, we have been fortunate to enjoy considerable support from the local community; we regularly receive book donations from families, schools and private companies. However, we are faced with the problem of limited space and currently have to rent storage space in three different districts of Hong Kong to accommodate our growing stock. ReBooked is a non-profit organization and we are dedicated to our cause; however, we need to explore more cost-effective solutions to ensure a sustainable future.
What advice would you give to young people who want to make a positive impact? How should they start?
My advice to young people who aspire to change things is to go for it! Don't wait for the perfect opportunity, the perfect time or the perfect team member - there's often no such thing as the “perfect” situation. Do your research (know your target market and be clear about your unique offering) and, if possible, find a mentor. Then get started! Keep learning and looking for ways to improve your product or service.
(Photo courtesy of Bailey Cherry, copyright : Bailey Cherry)
