Twenty-six young girls of the St Ann’s Orphanage were on Monday treated to donations by designer Michelle Cole-Wagner and her up-and-coming designer daughter Sapphire Rose, in collaboration with TidyUp Liquid Detergent Company. The children also spent the morning learning to make their own bath soaps.
“We want to spread hope and positivity to the kids at the orphanages, to share with them that they can keep their dreams alive and be what they want to be even in their circumstances,” 11-year-old Sapphire said.
Sapphire began a project called Heart Full of Dreams in hope of inspiring children to follow their dreams. The project will be three years old in September. Since she took up the initiative, she has visited Daniel’s Orphanage in the US where she has been residing since she was three years old. Sapphire began designing almost three years ago and since then has received several honours including the Golden Arrow of Achievement youth award.
“We’re donating a sewing machine along with four sewing kits, sponsored by a community-based organization called Kupanda, 20 Heart Full of Dreams pillows and bracelets, t-shirts and the Heart Full of Dreams cake,” Sapphire said.
Danae Younge, daughter of the founders of TidyUp Liquid Detergents Company Dwayne and Melissa Younge who joined hands with family friend Sapphire was the one to oversee the making of the soaps at the orphanage.
The St Ann’s girls chatted excitedly while sitting around a long table made up from desks that were pulled together. They clung to bright coloured soap dishes eagerly waiting for Melissa to pour the goat’s milk to be used as the base of their soap. Nearby, Sapphire and Danae took turns cutting up glycerin soaps for melting in a heated pot. The seated children were each given three mini heart shaped soaps which they stuck into the cooled goat’s milk and awaited the pouring of the melted glycerin. Danae did the pouring. Echoes of “me” filled the room as they impatiently waited their turns. Once their containers were filled up, they waited again for the soaps to cool and harden, checking often with their blue gloved hands. When it was cool enough, they eagerly ran around showing each other and the adults present the soaps they had made.
Melissa noted that in the making of the soaps, several scents were used – strawberry, sugar pop, tulip and another. The goat’s milk, the woman said was imported as it is not widely available. Melissa added that the milk has a number of health benefits.
A chemist, Melissa supported by her husband Wayne, founded the TidyUp Company making liquid detergents. She has in the past made bar soaps but because of her hectic schedule only makes liquid detergents. Eleven-year-old Danae, she noted, is now being taught to make the bar soaps and will be responsible for making soaps for the company.
“The bars themselves… we’re very selective in the kinds of oils that we use. We are looking to incorporate more and more locally produced oils. Like I said, goat’s milk is a bit difficult to get but in terms of coconut oil, crab oil…, The cocoa butter and shea butter to a very small extent, we have to import those,” Melissa shared.
“We provide a space for persons to actually comply with the ban on single use plastic by allowing people to seamlessly and effortlessly reuse their plastic bottles by refilling the containers they already have,” Dwayne said.
TidyUp allows persons to fill up a litre bottle for $300. The business is situated in
Diamond and has five refill outlets run by other small entrepreneurs at Bartica, Parfait Harmonie, Linden and Cummings Street, Georgetown. The company is seeking to assist interested persons looking to getting on board have their own refill businesses. TidyUp provided the orphanage with 4 litres each of its six products – laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid, liquid antibacterial hand soap, antiseptic disinfectant, multipurpose cleaner and fabric softener. It has also promised St Ann’s a one-year supply of household and personal care cleaning products.
Meanwhile, Michelle, who is part of the Kupanda Sisters Organization which donated the sewing machine and four sewing kits, said it focuses on children and literacy. The organisation was launched last Saturday at the Ramada Princess Hotel.
On Friday night, the hotel hosted the first ever Guyana Fashion Showcase, spearheaded by Founder Philbert Gittens, Executive Director Michelle Cole-Wagner and Creative Director Roger Gary. The show saw 16 designers from Guyana, the US, the Bahamas, Jamaica and Japan launch their collections. Michelle launched her ‘ColeFacts Wedding’ for the first time in Guyana. Sixteen of her ColeFacts designs made the Ramada Princess runway.
Sapphire also launched her collection for the first time in Guyana. Her brand d’Obvious saw 18 pieces showcased. Michelle noted that Sapphire designs and sews her pieces. Sapphire had said earlier that she was proud of herself and where she is today.
The St Ann’s Administration in a release said, “St Ann’s Orphanage was started on July 2, 1851 when the then Bishop brought two girls to the convent and asked that the Sisters take care of them. By 1869 there were 40 girls… Years ago, the girls would be brought to us if there was no family member to care for them, or a family was unable to support them. The girls living here now bring a new set of challenges as many of them are from abusive homes or have been abandoned or neglected.”
The 26 girls in the home today attend St Angela’s Primary, Marian Academy, Queenstown Secondary and the Bishops High schools.
St Ann’s is headed by Sister Claudiet Jones (Sister in Charge), Sheila Proffit (Matron) and Tracy Williams (Administrator).
Heart Full of Dreams t-shirts, pillows and bracelets are on sale at dobviousrose.com
