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Ian Dhanoolal is a ‘leader’ in the deaf community living in the Port of Spain. His reputation as a jewelry maker has led to him teaching basic jewelry making for the deaf in evening classes at the University of West Indies. Ian continues to participate in the Agape Centre for the Deaf ‘Christmas Village’ booth as well as selling his original creations privately with the help of his Facebook page.
Kathyann Beharry is a hearing person who volunteered at the Agape Center. As a result the basic jewelry training plus materials provided for start-up business, Kathy Ann has developed her own business. Kathyann lives in Saparia, South Trinidad. How could a person market their product there? On our third visit to Siparia, I followed Kathyann in to the back door of a local bank to meet tellers on their break. She proudly carried a piece of Styrofoam (from packing material) covered with a towel on which she had her little display of jewelry. The tellers are mainly Indian in ethnic origin (from India originally). They were really excited about her creations and gave her orders right away. With her first sales, Kathyann bought a piece of plywood to separate their one room to make a bedroom for them!
She began selling her creations in her sister's restaurant. As a leader/coordinator for the Deaf, each year she sets up a booth at Christmas Village in San Fernando. This gives the Deaf an opportunity to see their crafts and jewelry. Kathyann sells as well. Christmas Village, operated by the Open Bible Church, runs two weeks early in Dec. and is a wonderful opportunity to experience cultural music, food and crafts.
So, more money from jewelry sales. More improvements. Water comes to their street once a week (if they are lucky) so Monday had to be dedicated to wash day because that was water day. So income from jewelry sales bought water tanks one at a time for water storage. Water still comes most Mondays so they fill all 7 black tanks hoping that the next Monday the water main will again fill to replenish their supply. As a result, they have running water! A real bathroom has been put in. Rooms were divided to give family member’s privacy. Recently an addition was put on the house. The balcony was expended for Kathy Ann’s jewelry making. Her dream is still to have a room that she can dedicate to her jewelry and craft making.
In visiting her (March 2015), Lydia was most interested to discover how her business has developed and branched to allow her to become a community trainer working throughout Trinidad to help women come together to learn crafts and compete to win the yearly country competition for ''best community'. Probably the two most important things that happen in these classes are the community spirit that develops plus the sharing of common problems that the women face. Each participant must compete 16 crafts in the 10 week session! Kathyann is so proud of having a job, being able to use her skills. Kathyann is paid by the hour. Each session is three hours. It takes some time for the pay check to come through but everyone knows how nice it is to have a pay-check to look forward to! It is interesting to hear Kathyann describe how the women emerge from low self confidence to better their individual life situations, just as she has over the years of being able to lift her family by developing her jewelry business and now teaching 'community classes'.
Kathyann provides the ideas, mainly derived from ‘Pinterest’ on line. So, how would this family have access to computer? Well, a number of things had to happen. Kathyann’s family, as a result of income from her jewelry business, was able to get electricity. This made a big change in their lives as all homework had to be done before five prior to getting electric lights. Then son Kyle, as with all students entering High School in Trinidad/Tobago, was given a Lenovo Think Pad computer by the government. (I question how many homes do not have electricity but I guess students that do not have electricity can use their computers at school.) As well, a friend gave Kathyann an older IPad and the family (because of additional income) has been able to get internet to their house).
Children’s educations has always been priority. (March 2015) Kamisha, 23, competed her degree at the University of Trinidad and Tobago. This included teacher training. So tuition for four years, living and travel expenses plus books and supplies had to be paid for. Clyde, Kathy Ann’s husband, has a taxi business that pays the basics and not only Kathyann’s business but Kamisha herself takes on marketing of her mother's jewelry creations to help pay educational expenses, including helping her mother with creative displays. Kamisha began teaching with a contract as a teachers’ assistant to help a 7 year old boy who has never been to school before. Kamisha was pleased to see his rapid progress in learning to read. Kamisha thought her salary was good until she began to realize how expensive it is to keep her fast growing son, Kaydon (7 months of age) in diapers and formula. Kamisha and Kaydon share a room in the Baharry household with the crib right beside the bed. Kathy Ann cares for Kaydon during the day. Kamish takes over at 3:30 when she gets home from work.
Update: Dec 2016. Kamisha is now in a regular school teaching Grade 1 with a class of 30. Kaydon is in Daycare. She is also tutoring after school. Kyle is in trade school.
Now, back to the development of Kathyann’s own business, Kathyann Originals.
Something that has helped Kathyann with design work; jewelry pieces that the Colchester Community Workshop (CCWS) has donated over time. (When we go to visit, CCWS always gives us discarded jewelry to take.) Kathyann sorts it, cleans it using every last bead, chain and clasp!
Kathyann has a special drawer in her plastic organizer where she saves designs from CCWS that she wants to study and use for design ideas.
I was really impressed with the quality of findings she uses; the best of wire, earring hangers, clamps for finishing and clasps. She designs her own jigs to make designs she finds on the Internet, especially on Pincrest. I love her way of storing all her ideas under folders on her Ipad. I smiled when Kathyann told me that Ian (the jewelry maker from the Agape Deaf) tells Kathyann in sign language, ‘Don’t handle the findings until you wash your hands’.
The Agape Deaf occasionally meets at the Agape Center, just up the driveway from Kathyann’s. Kathyann keeps in close touch with the deaf by texting. In last five years, several of the deaf have married, some have had babies (one deaf child, one hearing child in two different families both with two deaf parents).
Update Dec 2016. Kathyann has taught herself from the internet to do wire work in jewelry. Her original designs are incredible!
Have a look at the slideshow to see how a little help has gone a long ways to help many people.
Inspirational!
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Entrepreneurial Startups (Trinidad)
