MSA bazaar showcases small businesses, student talent

Dozens of students gathered in the Nyumburu basement on Thursday, May 8 for the MSA’s bazaar event, during which students and organizations displayed their businesses, crafts, or services.

Leena Davis, a senior agricultural and resource economics major and president of the MSA, was inspired to organize the event by her longtime love of arts and crafts since middle school. She used to make products like homemade lip balms and slime, and enjoyed showcasing them to her community.

“We’ve been getting a lot of requests from students and alumni who wanted to showcase their small businesses,” Davis said. “We thought that since we were getting so many requests, [we] would make them all come to one single kind of space and advocate for or showcase their business.”

Davis hopes the event will encourage people to support small businesses and become an annual tradition.

Asiya Khan, one of the vendors at the bazaar, showcased her jewelry business, Nabbu Jewels. She chose the name as a homage to her late grandfather, who bought her the pliers she uses to make the jewelry.

“I always think about him whenever I am making jewelry,” she said.

Khan, who is a freshman and has not declared her major, started her business two weeks ago. This was her second time showcasing her business at an event. Khan previously exhibited her products at the UMCP UNICEF Night Market.

“I try to be really involved in MSA, and I love the community,” Khan said. “I thought it would be fun to [spend time] with my friends and see everyone while also showcasing my business.”

Sadman Ishraq, a junior computer science major, attended the event with some friends to learn more about the small businesses in the Muslim community.

“I haven’t been able to go to many events here because I commute,” Ishraq said, “and this event came at the right time for me.”

Ishraq, like many students, came to the MSA bazaar during a stressful time in the semester to relax and enjoy time with friends.

Despite the success of the event, Davis noted that one of the biggest challenges organizing the event was having to turn down vendors due to limited space. 

“We had [a] lot of responses, but we could only accommodate for about 17 vendors. We would have had more if we had a bigger room,” she said.

Still, Davis emphasized the event’s importance as a space for expression and community.

“I feel like every single person, whether Muslim or not, has a certain passion or calling,” she said. “I think this [bazaar] is a beautiful opportunity for Muslims to have a space to showcase that to the rest of the community.”

_{Image credits: Cover photo by Omar Tawfik for Al-Hikmah.}

CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, a previous version of this story misstated the name of Nawabi Coffee.

CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, a previous version of this story misstated the name of the MSA bazaar event.