Visionary tradeswoman hopes of one day operating resource centre [Photoslide Included]
A humble Kishmet Brookes-Daniel, entrepreneur and skilled tradeswoman in the VI, exclusively told this news site of her vision. Being witness to the many social ills plaguing our communities today, such as poverty and famine, she indicated, that as a woman with so many skills, it will be shallow for her not to share her talents for the betterment of her fellowmen, communities and country.
As a skilled tradeswoman and local vendor, Ms. Daniel specialises in something that can be viewed as ‘trash to treasure’, where she focuses on recycling different objects, such as: plastic bags, shells, coconuts, and many other things and turn them into, dolls, bracelets, handbags, earrings, cell phone cases, hats, bootees etc. She indicated that she also makes her own soap, tofu and many other household cooking products.
“I would like to conduct a non-profit organisation where I teach people skills and different trades so that they can stand on their own feet and have something to do to make money and provide themselves with a better life.”
Along with teaching them the skills, she added that she would like to be able to provide the necessities for them and their newly taught skills.
With this idea, Ms. Daniel hopes to target, fathers who lack to pay child support, ex-convicts, and just the general average woman or man who needs something to do to make some money.
“I would love to help special needs children to learn a trade rather than they growing up knowing nothing.”
She indicated that she recently acquired her trade license and is now legal to teach different crafts to others.
“Now that I am legal to teach, my next step is to try and form a women empowerment group, for disadvantaged women who are not working, and teach them a trade to better themselves. I would also try and get the raw materials from the States to provide to them to furnish their new skill.”
The visionary told this news site, that everything she sells she made them from scratch; skills she acquired from her ancestors that were passed down, and although they were never taught to her, with observation and practice, she boasts of teaching herself all the skills that are involved in her trade.
“My skills came from my ancestors, I came from a lineage of many people who did and lived by crafts and although I was too young for them to teach me, I always observed and practiced and practiced so it’s safe to say that I taught myself.”
Ms. Daniels added that because there was no one to teach her the ropes, she read books about different patterns in knitting and other crafts, where she tried so many different patterns. She said there was a time when she slept with the papers and books under her pillow as her grandmother always told her and now, “I am pro at what I do.”
“It started out when I use to work at the restaurant on Peter Island, I would use my tips money to buy yarn and any other things I needed for craft. I practiced, I made stuff and I sold them and my business blossomed from there.”
The talented Virgin Islander and entrepreneur has been involved in crafts for the last 10 years but has been operating on her own with no other job for three years.
“I am much happier doing this alone rather than working for someone else, because I have seven children and they need my attention.”
The proud mother of seven stated that her being home with her kids, they have improved in their school work and their grades, as a result of them receiving the attention they need from her.
The popular craft vendor, who is known throughout the Territory, is customarily seen at Waterfront Drive, Road Town roundabout and on Peter Island, selling, where she not only caters to the tourists and visitors but to anyone interested in buying her products.
In the rapid technological advancing world, to promote her business and crafts, Ms. Daniel uses Facebook and online local marketing websites such as BringBuyBVI.com and ActzVillage.com, to sell her goods.
She taught the skill to her first five children and will teach them to the last two when they get older.
Before operating her craft business, she worked as a waitress at Peter Island Resort.
She told this news site that her change was influenced by her adopting the Rastafarian religion, where she got more involved with culture.
In satisfaction, she said with the teachings of her old Mathematics teacher, Hon. Andrew Fahie, she is able to create her own designs and stitches using simultaneous equations.
“My children are knitting too so I saw it as a competition and motivation for me to go on and create by own designs, products and identity.”
She said thanks to the entire VI community and her parents for supporting her business. “They make me feel good at what I am doing and make me want to do more.”
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