Jubilee Day Care

What do good neighbours do? Sometimes they open a daycare. Well, this is true in the case of Rita Stephens, Khatira Karimova and her elder sibling Aynura Karimova. Rita and the Karimova sisters had their long awaited dream come true in July 2013 when they became the proud owners of Jubilee Child Care Centre. The daycare, nestled in Ajax, Ontario, caters to kids from zero to 12 years of age.

“I am a retired nurse and have lot of energy left,” says Rita. “My dream was to do something for the community, especially for children. What could be better than opening a daycare where we can be part of shaping the mind of children by providing them with innovative learning experiences.”

Aynura, who has three children of her own, always wanted to do something entrepreneurial. “With three children, it is almost like running a daycare,” says Aynura. “The only difference is that the kids were my own and that gave us an insight on families who are looking for an affordable and an interactive place to send their kids.”

One thing that is common among the three ladies is their love for children. “As the traditional African proverb states, it takes a village to raise a child and here at Jubilee, we are playing our part too. We feel each child is unique and by catering to their individual needs with our expertise, we can develop the best in them,” explains Rita.

The name Jubilee means “happy” and “celebration.” “And that is what we are doing here, celebrating young minds,” says Rita. “We cherish their company and rejoice in their growth, which will go a long way in the development of the community where we are operating.”

The Uphill Battle and a New Beginning

While the trio was all geared up and excited about running a daycare, they were not aware of the challenges they would face along the way. “It was an uphill battle for us. We used personal finances to start this daycare,” says Aynura. “Since we were new in the business, no one was ready to give us a loan or a grant. We had to build everything from scratch.”

If success was eluding them previously, by 2014 they have a come long way since the inception of their organization. In October 2014, the Jubilee daycare became a licensed one. The building itself got a facelift with a new Victorian castle look with seven playrooms as well as a fairly large backyard, plus the number of children at the daycare is on the rise. The trio has been able to dispel the public opinion of the previous daycare too. “Quality service and promoting the family atmosphere we provide through word of mouth has created a lot of positive vibes and business for us in the neighbourhood,” says Rita.