02 Apr Mentoring Cross-Country Success
Below is a letter received from BYBT Supported Entrepreneur, Ms Christine Roberts, and the Support received from YBTT Volunteer Mentor, Mr Reggie Ramlochan. Reggie has been mentoring Christine as part of the Youth Business Caribbean Support System, where support goes beyond borders.
Christine has had a passion and love for children since before she can remember. It was this passion which motivated her to enter the U.W.I Cave Hill Campus S.E.E.D Business Plan Competition in which she placed second. The S.E.E.D competition helped Christine to follow her dreams and passion. Chrisy’s Care, a child care facility catering to children with special needs from age 2, is the realization of that dream, a dream to help kids with special needs realize their full potential so that they too can one day achieve their dreams.
Friday 20th March 2020
Members of the Barbados Youth Business Trust (BYBT), Youth Business Trinidad and Tobago (YBTT) and all persons of interest. In light of what is going on around us with the outbreak and widespread of COVID–19, I want to take this time to reflect and show appreciation for what your organizations have done for me and ultimately my business for we are not promised tomorrow but I can let you know the impact you made on me today.
Oprah Winfrey once said, “A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself.” When I joined the sky is the limit and I was paired with my mentor Reggie Ramlochan, I did not know what to expect but I was prepared to work hard to develop my business, Chrisy’s Care. Chrisy’s Care is a Childcare facility catering to children with special needs in Barbados and its mission is its commitment to providing a higher level of childcare services in a way that promotes both physical and psychological development, while ensuring that the children in our care are achieving their developmental objectives. My mentor helped me to stay true to my vision for the business 100%.
A business mentor is not just someone who advises and guides you, they are someone who understands and knows your vision and is also committed to the development of not just the business but the mentee as a person from a holistic view. During my mentor partnership, I was able to accomplish a number of things with the dedicated support of my mentor and the support of both BYBT and YBTT. Below is a list of my accomplishments for my mentoring period 2019 to 2020:
❖ Hosted a Special Needs Fun Day 2019
❖ Won a business pitching competition and received a grant 2019 (Entrepreneurship Week)
❖ Become a successful member of the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation 2019 incubator program
❖ Won Toastmaster Speech Competition 2020
❖ Employed 1 full time and 2 part-time employees
❖ Obtained 3 new students into the school program
❖ Operate the business while overseas 2019 to 2020 (Independent of Owner)
❖ Plan another Special Needs Fun Day 2020
❖ Register to home school Special Needs Children
❖ Register as a Private Primary and Secondary School
❖ Create a social media and branding presence (Instagram and Branded uniforms)
❖ Enrolled in Rehabilitation Therapy Technology Program to become a Speech, Occupational and Physical Therapist
❖ Appear on several talk show programs as an expert on the Barbadian Special Needs
Community
❖ Visit a Special Needs School in Trinidad (Princess Elizabeth School on Port of Spain)
❖ Volunteered and became a member of Variety a Children’s Charity in Barbados
❖ Created an online classroom platform to reach more parents and students.
This all became possible because my mentor, Reggie was more than a mentor, he was a LIFE Coach that helped me to develop myself in a holist way. He was able to help me to think and problem-solve through many challenges that came my way by showing me how to step back and look at things from various points of view and most importantly he encouraged me to seize every and any opportunity for my personal, professional and business development.
The program is indeed useful and has many benefits not only for entrepreneurs but for many persons in today’s hard economic times in knowing that entrepreneurship is a possibility.
I wish to recognize the passion for helping and commitment to mentees and the program by Mr. Reggie Ramlochan and to say a heartfelt THANK YOU. Positive mind, positive vibes positive life.
Thank you for all that you have done for me and Chrisy’s Care.
Yours Faithfully,
Christine Roberts
Care Giver / Owner
Get in contact with Christine and Chrisy’s Care
Email: chrisyscare@gmail.com
Blog: http://chrisyscareblog.blogspot.com/
Tel: 267-2255(c) 549-9640(h)
Twitter: Chrisys83
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisysCare/