Budding entrepreneurs shine at community show

Aspiring entrepreneurs who honed their skills in the Community Impact Programme toasted a successful showcase at the Community Development Department on Thursday, as the event highlighted their creativity, determination, and potential for thriving businesses this festive season.

The exhibition and marketplace marked the culmination of a 12-week programme at seven community resource centres, offering courses in cosmetology, hair braiding, nail technology, and soap making, among other skills.

Acting Chief Community Development Officer Yolande Skeete said the programme was partly to boost participants’ sales.

“This is just a snippet of what would have been done during 2024, but the exhibition at this time is to showcase the products and have some publicity for the participants and of course, some sales as well,” she said.

Skeete revealed that more community and resource centres will participate in a larger exhibition next year at Sky Mall, in February.

“The participants are excited; they’re excited to have the opportunity to showcase their products and, of course, to get some sales as well,” she said.

One of the participants, cosmetologist Marisa Bynoe, completed the hair braiding course, learning knotless braids, box braids, rope twists, island twists, natural hair styling, and feeding cornrows. She described her experience as tremendously refreshing.

“My aim was to enhance my qualities and get better at learning what they’re doing. I can say going to the programme, my style and quality have increased by, I would say, by ten,” Bynoe said.

She hopes to see an influx of customers for the upcoming holidays.

“Thus far, since I’ve been here, I’ve had a couple of persons ask a lot of questions. So I’m hoping that for the Christmas season, I can see a ramp-up in the number of clients I have from coming here today.”

She advised Barbadians to participate in the free courses: “Take part in all of these activities that the community centres have to offer because there’s nothing like being self-employed and, you know, given what we went through in COVID, COVID told us that you needed to be self-sufficient.”

The cosmetologist added: “This will help especially persons who are finishing school. There’s the CAPE [Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination], there are so many things that can be done at the community centre, and they will encourage all persons to get involved.”

One of the hair braiding tutors, Shantelle Jones, proudly displayed her uniquely designed and styled mannequin heads adorned with Bajan colours. She said she challenged her students to style a head based on the theme, Barbadian Hairstyles 2024. Her creation depicted hair braided into the style of a hat on the head of a mannequin resembling President Dame Sandra Mason.

She hopes her students will gain many clients from the day’s exhibition: “You know, Christmas sales and hairdos for the season and a big set of clients who will pay.”

Jones described the experience of teaching 20 women as “awesome”.

“I also learnt other stuff from other students, and also I took my skills and put it to the students as well,” she said.

One of her younger students, Melissa Corbin, 17, proudly displayed her mannequin head styled in black, yellow, and blue braids, a product of the 12-week course. She said she learnt a lot from the programme, even though she was nervous at the beginning.

Another participant, Beverly Layne from the Briar Hall Resource Centre Group, said she and her team have been making products for seven years and hoped to see more people join so they could pass on their knowledge.

“We need to get some more seniors or younger ones in the group that would give the ones who were there before the opportunity to teach the ones that are coming in, so that we can expand and do more stuff – younger people that are active and willing to do the things that the older ones are doing,” Layne said.

Her group produces a variety of seasonings, such as pepper sauce and homemade curry powder, as well as skincare products, all made at the resource centre where they meet once a week.

The exhibition also showcased skincare and cosmetology products, handmade crafts, and clothing.

Participants joined from community resource centres in Briar Hall, Rices, Greens, Valley, Belleplaine, Boscobelle, Ellerton, and St Thomas.

(LG)