Berbice-based Entrepreneur, Ishabeth Sinclair, has accomplished more in just 22 years than most entrepreneurs aspire to in a lifetime.  Her award winning natural foods manufacturing company provides employment for primarily youths and single parents from her community. 

In 2016, at the age of 19, Ishabeth cofounded M & I Business Enterprise with her now husband, Michael Sinclair.  The company creates high quality organic, natural and specialty food products from raw materials that are prevalent in Guyana, and is described as “The Stepping Stone to a Healthy and Convenient Lifestyle.”

Ishabeth is also the co-founder of the Youths United for Empowerment Organization which was establish with the aim to develop a country where youths are positive and passionate about personal development and other primary foregoing objectives. 

GGR first learned of this young & savvy business woman back in March, 2019 when she presented her highly sought after products at the Women in Business Expo at Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown, Guyana.  Here’s Ishabeth’s story.. 

Can you share little bit about your childhood?  I was born in New Amsterdam and I grew up in a small community called Portuguese Quarter, Port Mourant located on the Corentyne Coast of Berbice.   I was fortunate to have the love of my two aunts Janice Bess and Yonette Medas who both helped to raise me.  I could say that my childhood days were not easy.  At the age of 3, I went to live with my aunt Janice who took care of me as a single parent with the assistance of my other aunt Yonette, who was also a single parent.  At the time, both of my aunts were experience personal challenges in their lives.  I can recall the times when we didn’t have any food in our cupboard, and the times when I had to use a plastic bag to take my books to school (something that motivates me every time I reflect on those days).  My aunt Janice made many sacrifices for me and worked as a security job to make ends meet,  and to ensure that I received a proper education.

Where did you go to school? I completed Port Mourant Primary School in 2009, gaining 474 mark, which placed me at the J.C Chandisingh Secondary School; one of the recognized institution in my region at the time. I attended this institution for the period required and sat the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC), Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate to which I gained passes in ten (10) subjects, securing 6 – Grade 2’s and 4 – Grade 3’s. I also participated in the Action Club Business Training Programme, hosted by Action Coach Guyana along with the Ministry of Business – Small Business Bureau; the Youth Leadership Training Programme Modules 1 & 2 hosted by the Ministry of the Presidency Youth Empowerment Unit; the Entrepreneurship & Work Ready Skills Training Programme hosted by the Specialist in Sustainable Youth Development & Research (SSYDR) in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations; A course in Agro-processing hosted by the Guyana School of Agriculture (GSA) in collaboration with the Ministry of the Presidency Youth Empowerment Unit; along with other business related training and workshops hosted by various organizations.

You’ve received extensive training in entrepreneurship and agriculture.  Did this motivate you to start a manufacturing business? Honestly I really did not like the idea of being in business, since there weren’t any female entrepreneurs or role models to look up to in my areaI for me to want to emulate.  So after leaving school I ventured into job search writing applications to the Ministry of Education in pursuit of becoming a teacher.   I did not receive a response so I proceeded to apply to several other companies for which  I was once more unsuccessful.  This lead me to pursue nursing but got the same results as the previous applications. Desperately in need of a pay cheque my boyfriend at the time (now husband) got tired of seeing me disappointed and decided to start a Computer Repair Shop/Internet Café and offer me a job to work with him. 

The business was successful for a short while but eventually technological advancement (the introduction of smart phones and other devices which is more handy and accessible to individuals) caused a decline in our customer based and the company closed. Nevertheless we got married in May 2016 and after listening to a charge by his Excellency President David Arthur Granger, who urged citizens to be more involved in value added products and to move away from the common plantain chips in plastic bags and have them properly labelled and packaged, we found it to be quite interesting and started contemplating on what local items we had in abundance and what we could do with them.  We decided to registered M & I Business Enterprise as a wedding gift to ourselves which later bore fruit to what we call our first child; the birth of the “Natural Coconut Shreds”.

What are some other products that your company produces? M&I Business Enterprise produces seven products which can be found on the shelves of nine supermarkets across Guyana. In addition to the natural coconut sheds, we produce fruit mix, moringa powdered season mix, moringa teabag, package moringa seeds and ground orange peel.

What motivates you daily? My motivation comes from God, my husband, and a few highly respected persons with whom I communicate, and consumers who reaches out to me to share insights, testimonies, recommendations and requests for what they would like to see next, etc. And lastly, seeing my products on shelves of supermarkets standing tall next to the imported items also keeps me motivated. 

What would you say is your greatest accomplishment to date?  I would say getting married and owning my own business at 19 years old. 

Your company’s efforts to employ single mothers and a member of a vulnerable youth population is admirable. Have you received any awards or recognition for your work?  My husband and I were awarded at the first National Youth Award for outstanding achievements in advancing youth development through Agriculture and Food Security in 2018.

What’s one word that describes you? Enthusiastic!

What important lessons have you learned during your process of becoming an entrepreneur? Some of the most important lessons I have learnt are to trust in God (have faith), to never give up,  and whatever we speak into the universe is what we’ll receive and to be humble.

Are there anyone who have influenced you over the years?  Yes, my husband, Mr. Aubrey C. Norton,  and Dr Lowell Porter.  Mr. Aubrey Norton is the first individual that I have met who believes that youths are vital assets once provided with the relevant guidance. He has taught myself and over 1,000 individuals Youth Leadership Training Programmes: Critical Thinking.  Dr. Lowell Porter has influenced me due to his drive to see small businesses succeed especially youth entrepreneurs. Since our first in counter he has been a guide and encouraged us to take up the challenges (view situations differently), never give and lastly help’s us in the best way he can. Personally while establishing our business he has been a strong block in our foundation, teaching us to be patient and to never give up when challenges arrived.  

What are some challenges and obstacles that you’ve encountered in being an entrepreneur?  One of the major challenges  that I have encountered as a young woman in business is not being taken seriously. I assume that is due to my age and being a female.  Another challenge is securing placement for our products on the shelves of more supermarkets across the country and internationally. Due to the fact that we are a small agro-processors, increasing sales and scheduling promotion meeting with vendors and consumers directly is sometimes difficult.

What advice would you give to young girls/women who may want to pursue a similar venture? My advice to a young girl/woman who wants to pursue this venture is to first be open and write down all of your ideas, then research them.  Next chose one that you’re passionate about; work towards making it a reality; make it unique and always remember to believe in yourself.

What would you say is the essence of being a “woman who rock”? The essence of being a woman who rocks for me is simply being a woman who is eagerly doing what she loves.

What’s next for you? The expansion of the business to both products and services promoting extremely healthy lifestyles and practices, while establishing a platform to facilitate engagement and offer mentorship to other young girls in my community and country at large.

Customers can shop for M&I’s products at Bounty or Survival Supermarkets, Massy Industries and the Guyana Shop in the City and Good Life, Sparkles and F. Ali and Daughters Supermarkets in Berbice.  You may also contact Ishabeth via the company’s Facebook Page or at +592 692 0208.

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Via www. guyanachronicle.com

OMAIAH Aaliyah Hall is an 18-year-old Communications student at the University of Guyana who was recently crowned the Junior Calypso and Soca Monarch  in Guyana. She’s also an alumni of Bishops and St. Roses High Schools.  In a recent interview with ‘The Buzz’,  Omaiah shared that she has always been passionate about the arts, especially music.  Here’s her story..

“I love how you can relate an entire story through a song and tell someone how you feel through singing, because the feeling goes deeper… My inspiration for singing and just being in the arts is really to express myself. I am way more confident in this element,” Hall said.

Sharing a brief history on how her love for music developed, she said, “Singing was always expected, because my dad is a musician, and many people in my family sing, but I really found love for singing in primary school at Success Elementary, when Sir Success had me do a solo. I was nervous and shaking, but I got up on that stage, and after that first note, I just let go and fell in love. Business-wise, I do aspire to go into the field of public relations, but it really is my dream to be one of Guyana’s very best artistes, daring to be different with soulful music that gets you deep in your feelings.” The young woman said she entered both competitions because she wanted to challenge herself.

“I do really want to explore my limits and reach higher heights. And to be real, I love competing; it allows me to push harder and be stronger,” she said passionately.  Her songs have been booming through the airwaves, and are fast becoming the people’s favourite.

The calypso song is entitled, “Tell Me How Come”, and according to Hall, “It’s a raw, bold political statement. This song is asking the questions that I need to be answered. This year, being my first year voting, I had to do some major research, and what I found was shocking. So the song speaks to what I found out, and the questions that I want to be answered.”

“Proud of who I Am” is the name of her entry in the Junior Soca Monarch competition. Explaining what it’s all about, she said, “Well, we are celebrating our Golden Jubilee as a Republic nation, and I know that we are proud. This song showcases that proudness no matter what people may say or do, ‘cause people will always talk, we should be proud.”

“I’m confident, because I know that no one else can be Omaiah, and I dare to be as dramatic and different as I can be. So, with the assistance, I’m going to go give 110 per cent. And as a first-timer going up, I feel the need to work harder, because I don’t want it to just be that girl that went up. I want to leave my mark on that stage after years has passed. I am really hoping to contribute to Guyana’s golden year, and really start building a great name for myself as a young artiste,” Hall said.

Via www.nation.co.ke

The story of how former United States President Barack Obama discovered his African roots has undeniably been a source of inspiration to many Africans in the diaspora, who are proud to be associated with their ancestry.

Just like Obama in his memoir Dreams from My Father, Margaux Wong’ is a woman on a mission — to discover her African roots — she was born and raised in Guyana, a country in the north-eastern corner of South America, but her great grandfathers were slaves from Ghana and Congo.

Wong’ traces her African roots through travel and art. She started doing this at the age of 18, and 18 years later, she is yet to waver on her mission to promote black consciousness in the diaspora.

Wong’ has been to many capitals in Africa, including Nairobi, where she occasionally visits to exhibit and promote her art.

She has been exhibiting art in galleries across the country for years.

The story of how former United States President Barack Obama discovered his African roots has undeniably been a source of inspiration to many Africans in the diaspora, who are proud to be associated with their ancestry.

Just like Obama in his memoir Dreams from My Father, Margaux Wong’ is a woman on a mission — to discover her African roots — she was born and raised in Guyana, a country in the north-eastern corner of South America, but her great grandfathers were slaves from Ghana and Congo.

Wong’ traces her African roots through travel and art. She started doing this at the age of 18, and 18 years later, she is yet to waver on her mission to promote black consciousness in the diaspora.

Wong’ has been to many capitals in Africa, including Nairobi, where she occasionally visits to exhibit and promote her art.

She has been exhibiting art in galleries across the country for years.

POLITICAL AGITATION

She recently met Lifestyle at an art exhibition in Mombasa. Due to her connection with Kenyan art scene, she is now exploring possibilities of working with local artists to have their works displayed and sold in European capitals.

But life has not always been smooth for Wong’. If it were not her artistic side of life, she says, perhaps she could have not wrestled the depression that struck her in her early years.

“Art has been therapeutic and were it not for it, I would have succumbed to a mental condition because of my troubled past of suffering and bitterness,” she says.

As a child, Wong’ was the sole caretaker of her ailing parents and grandparents instead of schooling. Her mother was suffering from a mental condition.

The hard times combined with poverty led to depression, forcing Wong’ to leave home at the age of 22.

“I had to leave home for a better world because I knew the depression could have led to a mental condition, just like my mother’s,” says Wong’.

She narrates how she grew up in the countryside, where they mainly depended on subsistence farming for survival.

Political agitation in Guyana and clamour for power disrupted social and economic atmosphere at that time.

SURVIVING WAR

Other reasons that drove Wong’ out of Guyana were a political tumult involving her father Hubert Wong’, who founded a leftist political party in the 1980s to challenge the ruling regime at the time.

Learning that her great grandfathers were slaves from Ghana and Congo made her develop unequivocal love and thirst for Africa and its cultures.

Her grandfather, Clarence Frank, was a renowned preacher and writer, who passed away at the age of 93, just two weeks after Wong’ left Guyana for London.

Her husband, a Burundian, survived civil strife that affected the country in the 1990s.

When she came to settle with her husband in the East African nation that is now enjoying relative peace after years of war, Wong’s love for art grew stronger when she began working with Burundian artists seeking to expose their culture and traditions to the international art scene.

“In Burundi, I realised that art was considered a luxury and not a way of life because of the several wars that have been fought between government troops and rebels. I began rooting for a different view by presenting the Burundian culture through art to other nations,” she notes.

She opines that art is considered a luxury in countries undergoing rough political metamorphosis, and this makes first-time visitors think that the hosts are inadequate artistically.

In her Bujumbura studio, she makes necklaces, bracelets, earrings and African masks.

ARRIVAL OF SLAVES

She uses cow horns, brass, wood, among other materials. The end-products are left with their natural colours and a touch of hand polish for protection.

Wong’ supplies her products to art shops and galleries around the world. Her products are on sale in France, Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Trinidad and Tobago, Kenya and the United Kingdom.

Wong’ relies on sales from her art pieces, support from friends and her husband to realise the dream of discovering her roots.

“My husband and friends have been supportive of my artistic course and clamour to have me discover my roots,” she says.

Her Guyanese relatives visited her in Burundi last year in September. This, she says, further strengthened her resolve in using art to discover her culture.

She is currently doing extensive research on her Africa-Guyana connection that has led her to Accra, Ghana and Kinshasa in Democratic Republic of Congo.

The date of the first arrival of enslaved Africans in Guyana is not known.

However, it is believed the first group was brought by Dutch settlers, who migrated from Tobago from as early as the mid-17th century.

RENOUNCE IDENTITY

As plantations expanded on the coast of Guyana, more enslaved Africans were brought from West Africa in ships owned by the Dutch West India Company.

In apparent optimism, Wong’ believes that she will one day discover her African family tree.

Studies done on Guyana slavery show that most Africans who were forcefully taken to the island denounced their cultures and language in order to fit into existing social classes.

In a research article by Jeremy Jacob Peretz, a scholar at the University of California in Los Angeles published in June 19, 2018, titled “Inherited ‘Ancestors’ Collections’ of a Devoted Curator: The Museum of African Heritage in Georgetown”, Guyana, most Africans who wanted to rise in economic status relinquished their African cultures and languages.

DEEMED PAGANS

The article published in the Karib-Nordic Journal for Caribbean Studies notes: “All non-Europeans and some Europeans who managed to acquire the economic prerequisites for entry into the middle and upper class ranks, and who hoped to have their accomplishments recognised, had to adopt Anglo-European cultural practices as the standard against which their class position would be judged.”

Wong’ notes that “in pursuit of my past, I learnt that the slavery in Guyana was so entrenched to an extent that enslaved Africans were prevented from practising their religions since the European Christian planters saw non-Christians as pagans”.

The enslaved Africans fought for their freedom and launched several violent revolts against their masters.

One was the Berbice Slave Rebellion, which began around February 23, 1763, and spilled into 1764. It was seen as a key event in Guyana’s anti-slavery struggles and history.

The UK franchise of the Real Housewives is adding a fresh new face to the Cheshire version of the show.  Model, philanthropist, and entrepreneur, Lystra Adams, will make her reality TV debut when she joins returning cast members Dawn Ward, Ester Dohnalová, Hanna Kinsella, Lauren Simon, Nicole Sealey, Rachel Lugo, Seema Malhotra, and Tanya Bardsley for season 12 of the show.

Born in Guyana, South America, Lystra originally moved to the UK at the age of 20 to follow a holiday romance! She grew up in the villages of Uitvlugt and Den Amstel on the West Bank of Demerara after her parents split. She later moved to Monsterrat to live with her aunt and later migrated to Halifax, England. The mother of 20-year-old daughter Jasmine – also a model – has been a regular in the Cheshire social scene for years and is finally taking up residence in the Golden Triangle. 

“Joining The Real Housewives of Cheshire is a dream come true! Being able to join my friends on screen to share the laughter and witness the drama first hand has been eye opening but I’m not shy, I’m ready for anything!” Lystra shared. 

Lystra is also famously known for her striking resemblance to international runway model, Naomi Campbell, and has had a career of working as her lookalike.  Lystra reported in the past of being constantly teased while attending school in Montserrat for being taller than everyone else in her school and looking like a geek. The name-calling and snide whispering were so vicious that the young Lystra used to suffer panic attacks before going to class.  These very features have led to her fame and social status in the UK.  The smart businesswoman is a successful real estate investor.  Let’s also not forget to mention Lystra’s fabulous collection of fascinators and hats!

The Real Housewives of Cheshire season 12 will start on Monday, October 12 at 9 PM on ITVBe. You can also watch episodes online via the ITV Hub or Amazon Prime with ITVHub+.

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Undra Celeste Duncan is the founder and creative director of Undra Celeste New York; a modern workwear brand for multicultural women. Upon earning a business degree from Howard University, she moved to LA where she studied fashion designing, and later to New York to pursue a career in fashion.  She worked for big brands such as Calvin Klein and American Eagle Outfitters before launching her own label in 2014.  Undra’s collections have been shown on many runways across the country, including New York Fashion Week and Essence Fashion House in New Orleans.

Undra is the daughter of Guyanese parents who migrated to Brooklyn, New York.  She developed an interest in fashion from an early age from watching her mother “transform” from her work attire into a glamorous wardrobe on the weekends. “She has the ability to get dressed regardless. No matter what’s going on in the world or in her life,” Undra said of her mother. “It inspires me because I know there are women who are like that — who always want to look their best because it’s a direct link to how they feel.” Earlier this year, Undra she was one of three designers who were selected to compete in the new design challenge  “Banking On Style” sponsored by Chase, Land’s End, and Essence.  Though she did not win that competition, Undra found the experience to be invaluable, as it created a lot of exposure for her brand.  She has also been interviewed by Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) for an episode of The Know.

Hard work recently “paid” off for the talented designer when she was named one of 27 New York-based fashion designers who benefited from a million grant through the Harlem’s Fashion Row Icon 360 Fund.  Undra was awarded ,000 to help grow her business.  

“When I first learned about the grant award, I was in tears and speechless. I’ve worked so hard these last 5 years to build a brand that not only my customers would love, but one that my peers in the fashion industry would recognize and respect. Although I’m not where I want to be as yet, getting this grant proves that I am on the right track.”

One of the highlights of Undra’s fashion career s is being chosen, along with 2 other female designers, to work on Lebron James’s signature Nike shoe in late 2018. The opportunity garnered extensive recognition for the designer and her brand.  She also shared with  Essence that she walked away from the experience with a clearer outlook on what new, young designers should be aware of when working with larger brands—knowing 110% what you as a designer want out of the partnership. The three designers included Undra, Fe Noel, and Kimberly Goldson created  Lebron’s 16th signature shoe — the first LeBron James sneaker that’s designed by a complete team of women on the collaborator and Nike sides.

Undra credits her Guyanese heritage and the Caribbean Culture for her design inspirations. “I know geographically, Guyana isn’t in the Caribbeans, but due to colonization, they do have Caribbean heritage. I see how Caribbean women carry themselves—they don’t let the world beat them down. That strength that is part of that Caribbean culture—that vibrancy, that very high personality. I feel like that’s definitely part of who I design for, and it’s infused in all of my collections.”

“My customer loves color and I love color. I think I do it well, but in a really elevated way. Bold prints were another thing. I design elevated workwear—fun, bold, modern, but still unique and professional.”

Undra wants every woman who comes in contact with her brand to feel confident, self assured, elevated. “I feel like that’s what workwear should be. We try to sell confidence. I want you to feel like you can show up to work and just kill it because you feel good in your clothes.”

The post She Rocks! Designer Undra Duncan is Elevating Women Through Fashion appeared first on Guyanese Girls Rock!.

www.ajc.com

Local Democrats had “good candidates, good ground game,” and “a message that a lot of people in the community were ready to run with,” he said.

Cupid said her first priority will be addressing issues of “governance” to ensure all commissioners feel included in decision-making. She pointed to issues like spending pandemic aid money and police reform as areas where she felt excluded.

“I felt like I was on the outside even though I was on the board,” Cupid recalled of her push for a citizen review board for policing. “I feel like if we can have a straight-forward conversation about all of our interests … perhaps we can come up with ways to address the concerns associated with policing.”

She added that policing was just one example, and her overall goal is to create a “better sense of cohesion” on the board.

Boyce posted his concession on Facebook Wednesday morning.

“I called Chairwoman-elect Lisa Cupid this morning and left a message congratulating her on her election, expressing my appreciation for running an issues-based campaign, and wishing her all the best in the future,” Boyce wrote. “It has been an honor to have served the people of Cobb County.”

With Cupid’s win, Democrats picked up one seat on the commission, since Democrat Monique Sheffield ran unopposed to replace Cupid in South Cobb. If Democrats manage to flip a third seat in East Cobb District 2, the party would control a majority on the board.

In that race, Democrat Jerica Richardson maintained a razor thin advantage over her Republican opponent, Fitz Johnson.

In the Sheriff’s race, Democrat Craig Owens, a police major, declared victory over incumbent Republican Neil Warren. Warren had not conceded as of Wednesday morning. Owens’ lead appeared larger than the number of outstanding ballots but the results were not final.

Democrat Flynn Broady was leading incumbent Republican District Attorney Joyette Holmes in a closer race.

Jacquelyn Bettadapur, chair of the Cobb County Democratic Committee, was optimistic about the outcome of the local races. She said Cupid was helped by her track record as a commissioner in South Cobb, a Democratic stronghold, as well as a contested race in East Cobb that brought out more voters.

“It all starts at the grassroots level and you don’t get more grassroots than Cobb County Commission and local government,” she said. “I think what I’m looking forward to is just a change in the tone, a change in the public profile of Cobb County.”

The post Guyanese-American Lisa Cupid Secures Major Political Victory in Georgia appeared first on Guyanese Girls Rock!.

US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris received her COVID-19 vaccine live on television Tuesday and urged the public to trust the process.  A mask-wearing Harris received the first of her two shots at United Medical Center, located in an area of Washington, DC with a large African-American population. Her husband Doug Emhoff was also to be vaccinated.

Patricia Cummings, clinical nurse manager at United Medical Center, administered the vaccine. Cummings was born in Guyana and is the daughter of two Guyanese immigrants to the United States. 

“I trust the scientists, and it is the scientists who created and approved this vaccine, so I urge everyone when it’s your turn, get vaccinated. It’s about saving your life, the life of your family member, and the life of your community” — the VP-elect said on receiving the vaccine. 

Pfizer’s principal research scientist, Vidia Surendra Roopchand,  was also born in Guyana and grew up on the tiny island of Wakenaam, located in the Essequibo River. Asked how he feels to be making history as an immigrant and a Caribbean immigrant from Guyana, as part of the team to deliver the first vaccine to possibly help curb the COVID-19 virus, Roopchand said “it was a humbling experience more than anything else!”

VP-Elect Harris will become the first Black and Indian-American vice president when she takes office on January 20, as well as the first woman in the role.

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Source:  nickiswift.com

Actress Golda Rosheuvel was born in Guyana, but her family moved to the UK while she was growing up. In a Q&A with Shondaland, the British star revealed her favorite book is The Secret Garden and that she is “mad” for country music. Keep reading to learn more about the fabulous Bridgerton star!

Rosheuvel plays Queen Charlotte in Bridgerton. Netflix’s hit series from TV queen Shonda Rhimes follows British high society in Regency-era England. Bridgerton is fiction, but Queen Charlotte is rooted in history. According to People, many historians believe Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitzmany to be the first biracial royal. Rosheuvel is a British actress and singer who is well-known for her theatrical work, and she has received international attention for her work as Queen Charlotte. A few of her television and film credits include Lady Macbeth, Luther, and Silent Witness.

Rosheuvel told Glamour in January 2021 that Queen Charlotte was a role she never even dreamed about playing. “I just wasn’t represented. There weren’t people that looked like me playing roles like this,” she said. “But in terms of representation of color, it’s a beautiful, enriching time now. And Netflix is the perfect platform for a show like ours because it’s global. The audience can see themselves be represented. And I feel very, very blessed to be part of that.”

As Queen Charlotte in Bridgerton — Netflix’s fifth-biggest original series launch of all time — Golda Rosheuvel has earned rave reviews.

In a January 2021 interview with Essence, the British actress discussed how she brought Queen Charlotte to life. Rosheuvel revealed how her British mother helped her channel the queen: “This is the first time that I wasn’t playing a role that didn’t completely revolve around me being Black. So for me, this is the first time been able to tap into my mother’s side. Do you know what I mean? That side of me that loves afternoon tea and scones with clotted cream and jam, that loves horse riding through the countryside. So when channeling Queen Charlotte, I thought about my mom. I don’t know whether my mum pouted, but definitely channeled her with great pride and honor.”

Shondaland’s Netflix hit is based on Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton book series. In an interview with The Times, Quinn weighed in with her support on the choice to cast Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte. The author said that Netflix “very deliberately” choose Rosheuvel to play King George III’s wife and queen. The Bridgerton author said, “Many historians believe she had some African background.”

Clearly Rosheuvel was born to play Queen Charlotte, and we can’t wait to see her in Season 2 of Bridgerton!

The post Meet Golda Rosheuve – Guyanese-Born Actress & Star of Netflix’s Bridgerton appeared first on Guyanese Girls Rock!.

via www.illinoistimes.com

June Wood Agamah moved to Springfield in 1995 with her husband, Dr. Edem Agamah, and their three young daughters. It’s a long way from her Guyana homeland – where she was called Caryl.  Edem was born in Ghana. Frequently Americans assume they are from the same country. They were born nearly 4,000 miles and an ocean apart. Guyana is on the northern coast of South America and Ghana on the western coast of Africa.

June and Edem have a deep faith and feel guided by God in their life’s journey. They’ve led 37 mission trips to Ghana, training volunteers months in advance of the biannual trips. Their daughters accompanied them from a young age and experienced Ghana’s culture and people. Yet, June’s homeland was mostly a mystery. In 2014, middle daughter Aseye delved into a closet looking for old photos of her mother to make a collage for her mother’s birthday. Aseye found no baby picture, as none were taken. However, she describes finding a treasure-trove of photos of a “beautiful, trendy 20-something-year-old” and extraordinary journals. This led to a litany of questions about her mother’s life. June admitted she had either consciously or unconsciously blocked out her past. Now Aseye was hungry to understand her mother’s childhood, native country, and her own identity.

This was the impetus for June to open her heart and write Caryl’s Closet, which she completed during the 2020 pandemic. She poignantly describes her family’s character traits of hard work, enduring faith, long-suffering determination, and perseverance. June divulges her personal journey growing up in a tiny village, Buxton-Friendship, on the east coast of Demerara in Guyana, and ultimately immigrating to America. She paints a vivid picture of growing up poor with extraordinarily hardworking and loving parents. June has four older siblings and a sister a decade younger. June reveals her country’s history and why the Buxton-Friendship people are renowned for their determination and grit.

After years of grueling jobs in sugar cane fields and the construction industry, her father was out of work. Guyana was in acute economic decline. Her mother had suffered a stroke. In 1983, her father and mother risked everything to leave Guyana with their youngest daughter to make a better life in America. Immigration laws prevented June and her older siblings, who were no longer minors, from joining them. The intent was to apply for them to come later. Two months after moving to Slidell, Louisiana, near New Orleans, June’s mother died of a heart attack. June was in Barbados, where she had moved to look for work. The news was gut-wrenching. June went to New Orleans to be with her father. This was the beginning of navigating the immigration system and starting her new life in America.

June enrolled at the University of New Orleans. During her first class, she was called June, since Caryl is her middle name. From then on, Caryl became June. June met her future husband through a mutual friend who wanted to introduce her to a physician, who the friend mistakenly thought was from June’s home country. He had a degree from the University of Ghana Medical School in Accra and was teaching and attending graduate school at Louisiana State University. June writes about their first meeting and short courtship. They married in 1988. June earned a B.A. from the University of New Orleans and started graduate school. In 1990 they moved to Evanston, Illinois, where Edem had a residency in internal medicine at St. Francis Hospital. From there Edem had a fellowship in oncology/hematology at the University of Chicago. They moved to Hyde Park, and June worked at Aurora University. By then they had three children under the age of five.

In 1995 the Agamahs relocated to Springfield, a stark contrast from Hyde Park, a hometown for people from all over the world. Edem joined the Central Illinois Hematology Oncology Center. There were three major hospitals in Springfield at the time and only a handful of Black physicians and professionals. June writes in Caryl’s Closet that they “were to learn the difficult art of transcending yet owning our identity as minorities.” She describes her experiences and those of her daughters growing up in Springfield and navigating in predominately white spaces.

Access to quality health care is a priority for June and a personal issue. Her mother did not have access to health care when she died. Mission trips to the Volta region of Ghana are a passion for the Agamahs. Since 1996 June has been the logistics coordinator for International Health and Development Network, a nonprofit organization established to help poor villages in the developing world. In addition to coordinating mission trips, June raises funds to help thousands of people get access to health care. June attended night classes, graduating from the University of Illinois Springfield in 2001. She discovered she could apply what she learned on the ground in Ghana. In 2006 the Agamahs purchased 23 acres of land to build the International Health and Development Network Mission Hospital, which now serves 30,000 patients annually.

By unpacking her closet and writing her memoir, June reveals the importance of family, faith, heritage, and caring for others. She has witnessed culture gaps firsthand. She writes that people don’t take time to get to know each other, and many Americans lack exposure to other cultures. By writing this book, her hope is for readers to look at immigrants with new eyes. “When the world tries to keep us in its mold, we too can break out with the unvarnished truth that unconditional love will always prevail in the end.” Connecting with others through forgiveness, gratitude, kindness, and love is her life’s purpose that she wants to pass on to others in her sphere of influence.

Karen Ackerman Witter was inspired to read Caryl’s Closet after hearing June Wood Agamah speak at a meeting of the Sunrise Rotary Club. She looks forward to being within June’s sphere of influence.

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“Small Business Warrior” Tiffany Johnson wants to help businesses that are overlooked.”  Tiffany is a program manager helping small businesses grow on Amazon.com. She recently spearheaded a new Amazon initiative called the Black Business Accelerator, which provides access to capital, business guidance, mentorship, and marketing support to help Black business owners succeed as sellers in Amazon’s store. 

“The role small businesses play in our society is very personal to me,” she said.

The daughter of small business owners, Tiffany grew up in Guyana, South America.

“My parents were entrepreneurs. They started several small businesses out of nothing and built them from the ground up,” she said. “I remember starting with a little shack in front of our home selling candies. Then we moved to St. Lucia and started all over again. My parents sold movies, belts, sandals— typical items that tourists would look for when they come to the islands. What little they made, they took it and expanded on it to help the community.”

“Seeing my parents ignited a passion in me to create opportunities for others,” Tiffany said. “I joined Amazon because I wanted to help sellers just like my parents find their opportunity.

“When the pandemic happened and I saw that over 40% of Black-owned businesses were failing*, it really sparked a fire in me,” she said. “I started doing research, did a lot of deep diving on census data, talking to sellers every day. The percentage of Black-owned businesses online, it’s so low. That needed to change.”

Tiffany decided to work toward a solution and helped create the Black Business Accelerator program.

“It focuses on empowering Black-owned businesses on Amazon, providing the tools, capital, and support they need to become successful,” she said. “It’s not just a program, it’s a community. Whether you’re in the ideation phase or have an existing business and feel stuck, we want to support you.”

The program is committing 0 million over the next four years to help thousands of Black entrepreneurs reach millions of customers.

“This is just the beginning,” Tiffany said. “It sounds simple, but it won’t be. We’re in a position to support these businesses and help their communities. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Learn more about Amazon’s Black Business Accelerator.

Source:  Amazon

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