Founded in 2017, the Build a Girl Foundation is an integral part of a self-empowerment platform presented by Gabriella Chapman when she competed in and won the Miss Bartica Regatta that year. It is a not-for-profit organization that strives to empower and improve members’ lives.
Back when she competed in the pageant, Chapman used her platform to speak on self-empowerment and also advocate for individuals empowerment. She wanted young women, in particular, to be confident in themselves, pursue their dreams and achieve them no matter what obstacles they faced.
Following her victory that year, she began trying to formulate an initiative that would benefit her community. In fact, during the Q&A segment, when asked what she would do as an ambassador for her community if she won, she said she planned to hold an empowerment seminar. As such, it worked towards achieving this.
At the time, she was living in Georgetown where she worked and studied, which made it difficult to pull off the project. So, she decided to use social media to reach out to the women in her community. Initially, it was supposed to be ‘Let’s Talk With Gabby’, a YouTube channel that was meant to be a platform where young women interacted, talked on social issues and encouraged each other. He asked ten volunteers for a photoshoot for the show. The exact night the job was done, Chapman saw interest from more than 70 young women. Her phone was freezing all night as she tried to read and respond to all the messages. It was an amazing moment, she said, as she didn’t even expect to get the ten volunteers she was hoping for.
It was then that she realized the influence she had on these young women. After thinking for some time, Chapman realized that the intended YouTube program would be too small to cater for all interested parties. She threw out that initiative and got the concept for Girl Build Girl birthed.
“What I wanted to do was provide a place for young women to access the support of other sisters,” said Chapman. “Sometimes as women we need someone to talk to, to give us advice. We need support in our personal lives, even in our academic lives and while we have that sister support available, we also have programs to empower them with the necessary tools so that they can be productive members of ‘ r society. ”
The foundation’s aims are to create a sisterhood where members are ready to help and motivate one another; provide programs that will broaden their knowledge of life; provide a safe and supportive place where members can experience new opportunities, overcome obstacles, develop positive relationships and gain confidence and life skills; and provide programs that can help change gender norms, attitudes and practices. It also aims to increase girls’ self-confidence, encourage them to express their views and give them access to role models who often act as mentors; providing programs that will expand or increase their skill sets; create opportunities for their talents to be harnessed and highlighted; help them with self-awareness and find their path to living passion-driven lives; and prepare them to be positive forces in Guyana.
Since its inception, at the beginning of each year, the organization sets out an action plan detailing its focus for each month. Not all of last year’s agenda was achieved, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By the middle of last year, the organization had 143 members and mentors but because they were unable to do anything, many were disconnected. As a result, Chapman decided to get the organization restructured and create new application forms. The current group consists of 87 members and mentors with a further 205 applications pending. Applications have closed until July. The former Miss Bartica explained that this is because the group has already moved on with forums and other activities and adding new members will now require mentors to repeat all the work that has been done to Have them at the same level as other members.
The Restructured Women Build Foundation allows for more engagement on social media platforms. Socializing is an important part of life, but it has come to a halt mainly because of the pandemic. Nevertheless, says Chapman, understanding the pivotal role she plays in our lives, Girl Build Girl has created a buddy system where two of three young girls are devoted to each other. He shared that members were for the time being getting acquainted with social media before they ventured together.
They are required to think about their own activities and are expected to report back to the group as well as share photos or videos of the activities. Not all members live in Bartica. In fact, most of them live in Georgetown while there are also members from Berbice, Linden, and Region Three (Essequibo-West Demerara Islands).
Members of the group are aged between 14 and 25 and women over 25 are dependent on their mentoring skills. However, whether they are a member or a mentor, they strive to build one another. Chapman said that before the group was reworked, she did all the mentoring unless there were forums where facilitators were presenting. She has since realized that she cannot do it all on her own. The new group has 15 senior and junior mentors. The younger mentors assist the elderly with their assigned jobs which help to inform their leadership skills.
“Feedback from members has been good. I have never had bad feedback from anyone. The only grounds that people leave the group are when things get too busy for them, especially when they are studying, working, or having personal issues that may be emotionally overwhelming. But even when they leave, many still return in a month or several months. Everyone has shared how much they love being part of this group. Some of them have been inspired to start their own small businesses. And, when sharing with the group, they get the support for their businesses from the members. Currently, many of our members are entrepreneurs and we are working on helping them…, ”said Chapman. He noted that some of them had started their small businesses as a result of being made redundant because of the pandemic.
The activities are primarily aimed at self-development, including life planning, life skills training such as the CPR provided by officials from Georgetown American University, mental health sessions, career guidance, and entrepreneurship, among others. “The core of this group is not about these activities as such, but our in-house activities and talking sessions with women. That’s when we really see people opening up, ”Chapman shared.
The foundation has held sessions at Mahaica Women’s Home in the past and once held a six-week program at home. Last Christmas, the group drove clothes for Mahaica Girls’ Home and Sophia Home for girls and held a concert for the children there. Chapman said the kids always love to see them, but it’s bitter-sweet. “It’s also depressing because we can’t go as much as we want to or as much as they want us to,” he noted.
Over the past few years, says Chapman, the foundation has been supported by the Youth Ministry as it relates to facilities provided for the various forums; this was under the previous administration. Girl Build Girl looks forward to the support of this current administration.
Executive members of the organization are Denita Prowell (President), Lisa Hussain (Vice President), Rashaana Barakat (Finance Manager and Outreach Coordinator), Renata Anderson (Director of Fundraising), Sharon Wright (Program Director), Sydney Solomon (Secretary), Akelah Young (Treasurer), Dominique Best (Membership Manager), Britney Valladares (Social Media Manager), Jennay Duke (Junior Vice President), Shanae Heber (Junior President), Cheyenne Jordan (Junior Fundraising Director and Social Activities Coordinator), Susana Augustin (Junior Program Director and Social Activities Coordinator), while for social activities, the other coordinators are Gianella Gajie, and Trina Persaud.
There is no registration fee, but applicants can choose whether they would like a t-shirt and / or a group pin that will attract cost.
The NPO can be followed or contacted via Facebook at Girl Build Girl Foundation, on Instagram @girlbuildgirl, or through WhatsApp at 616-7452.