The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

WITH ANOTHER inspiring forum up her sleeve, Bahamian entrepreneur and business woman Rayette McDonald is happy to present her first children’s conference “I Am A Promise.”

The event to be held at the British Colonial Hilton on February 22 sits under the umbrella of Rayette’s “Esteem Productions”, a company that seeks to elevate the level of self- esteem and self-worth of pre-teen and teenage girls.

“Esteem Production has been working hard on events and initiatives that will certainly be true to the vision to change the Bahamas one person at a time. We have ventured into new territory and have now begun focusing on what we call our little darlings, the children. Boys and Girls ages 5-11 will get their opportunity to be inspired, encouraged and trained in an atmosphere made just for them,” Rayette told Tribune Woman.

Rayette said she realised, if a child lacks fundamentals in the early years of schooling it is very difficult to get them to succeed later on. The same is true for moral and social training, she said.

“If we are to have the future that we talk about, if we are to have a generation that is going to preserve the Bahamas, we are going to have to train them now. The Bible says train up a child in the he should go and he/she will not depart from it. Esteem Productions is doing its part in the training process of our children, with the understanding that it is going to take a village to train a child,” said Rayette.

She said the name of the event was borrowed from the popular children’s song, “I Am A Promise”, which encourages children “to be anything that God wants me to be”. Rayette said the song connects with the mission for the conference.

“It is our mission to get children to understand that God can do big things with them. They must know that their futures are bright and that as young as they are they are agents of change,” said Rayette.

At the conference there is a special child-parent session. This is the time when parents will receive tips on how to effectively communicate with their children and how to improve their relationship with them. This session, led by Pastor Ricardo Miller of Fort, Worth Texas, will also be used as a time to encourage parents and commend them for the job they are doing.

Rayette said they are looking for children to be inspired, volunteers to be encouraged and parents to be equipped.

On that day, Rayette said they are expecting to turn the British Colonial Hilton into a children’s zone. From they enter the hotel, she said the children will know how much effort went into organising the event just for them.

There will be exciting children’s speakers, art and crafts, face painting, and a children’s only fashion show, as well as other activities.

“I see this becoming an annual event here in New Providence, but we have already been approached by another one of our islands, so plans are now on the way for one of our Family Islands. So the sky is not the limit for us, but just a target and we thank and honour God for trusting us with this assignment,” said Rayette.

For more information contact 698-4618.