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The lady behind the popular and inspirational online media Guyanesegirlsrock, Twin Elegance Jewellery and more is Guyanese American, Cloyette Harris-Stoute, who migrated to the United States in 1993.
Recounting a proud childhood that began in Goed Fortuin, Cloyette said her life embraced the African proverb “it takes a village to raise a child,” and shared experiences raised in communities where everyone knew everyone else; where families and neighbours cared, shared, and looked out for each other, making sure kids ‘behaved right,’ and were protected.
She told Caribbean Life her families were often “sharing what little they had, whether it was food, clothing, fruits, and produce, or simply volunteering to babysit a neighbor’s child at no cost.”It was these acts of kindness and other life experiences which helped fuel her desire to do charitable work.
The beginning of Guyanesegirlsrock
Cloyette first started with the Guyanese Girls Rock Blog platform in 2012. This is a platform created to celebrate Guyanese women accomplishments in the diaspora. In 2015, she founded the Guyanese Girls Rock Foundation, Inc (GGRF), and its programmes were launched in 2018.
Cloyette said in establishing the foundation she wanted to create a space where girls could feel welcomed to share their common culture and heritage and to offer free programs and scholarships to help defray the cost for them to attend college.
She said young women are strongly encouraged to do volunteer work, since GGRF often hosts or participates in give-back events for the community, sometimes with other organisations.
Volunteers at GGRF have given out hampers and food supplies to the community, volunteered at a local farm, donated coats and personal care items to young mothers and disenfranchised youths.
Cloyette said the GGRF also promotes kindness, sisterhood, and respect among our program participants by teaching them life lessons and exposing them to materials, positive experiences, and role models from whom they can draw inspiration and emulate.
One thing she’s proud of: Since it launched in 2018, every single college-bound young woman who successfully completed the GGRF Spring Young Women’s Leadership Academy (YWLA) programme was awarded a scholarship.
Cloyette wishes more people knew that GGRF and its programs existed. “In addition to the YWLA, which is available to high school girls of Guyanese heritage who reside in the New York Metro areas. In 2022 Harris-Stoute launched the Young Women’s Leadership Fund (YWLF) to help transform the lives of college-bound young women in Guyana through mini scholarships.
Her own jewelry line
In 2020 Cloyette Harris-Stoute launched her own New-York based jewelry brand, called Twin Elegance, targeting a clientele seeking bold, unique keepsake pieces that celebrates them.
Cloyette told Caribbean Life her dissatisfaction with the quality of many of the pieces sold by wholesalers, led her to pursue the jewelry-making craft. She enrolled in design and metalsmith classes at the Jewelry Arts Inc. in New York City, and later at the Art League of Long Island where she learned how to work with precious metals, gemstones, and different design techniques.
The molding and development of her pieces are done by a manufacturer who bring her designs to life, i.e. the merging of her twin passions; women empowerment with jewelry designing. with Twin Elegance sells demi-fine jewelry, which includes earrings, bracelets, rings, and necklaces made of gold vermeil (18k gold over sterling silver).
Cloyette said the brand’s design concept is centered around elements of strength and self-love, while the collections are thoughtfully designed with heart and pear-shaped features and infused with natural gemstones and symbols that are rich in healing energy and timeless history.
Interested people can find more information about GGRF and its scholarships for young women here: https://guyanesegirlsrock.org/scholarship-fund/.
Interested people can find more information about YWLA here: https://guyanesegirlsrock.org/young-women-leadership-academy/.
They can find more information about YWLF here: https://guyanesegirlsrock.org/ywlf-gy/.
Young women of Guyanese heritage and at least 18 years old who are interested in volunteering with GGRF can find more information here: https://guyanesegirlsrock.org/volunteer-for-us/.
To support the work of GGRF, those who are interested can donate here: https://guyanesegirlsrock.org/donation/.
Source: Caribbean Life
