Most of the stories we run about Youth for the Future involve those so-called at risk youths getting trained to enter the work force or learning about HIV and Aids. But tonight our story about youth for the future is different, it is about some young women putting their braiding skills to profitable use.
This is 20-year-old Nellie Trapp at work - she has style, technique, and she can do a mean braid. In fact you can call her one of the fastest hair braiders in Belize.
Nellie Trapp,
"I learnt it on my own but it is easy and I have a lot more style and design and whatever. I thought it would have been hard but I liked it for that little hour. I thought I would have lost but I said we will finish it and we will win it."
Okay maybe Nellie isn't the fastest braider in all of Belize but she did best 4 other hair braiders to win the top prize in Youth for the Future's hair braiding competition.
The contest went something like this: there were four braiders and four full heads of hair waiting to be corn rowed. And while there was a limit on time, 1 hour, there was none on the creativity of the designs. 48 minutes later there was a winner. She was Nellie Trapp and the winning head of cornrows was that of 25-year-old Jason.
Jason,
"It feels good because she is the only young girl who braids my hair because she is one of the best and she has skills. Anything you ask her to do, she can do it. I am satisfied with it because she is my friend and she is good man. I feel good to come in first but from before I reached here I knew I would come in first because I've told you this young girl is good."
And Youth for the Future's Violence Reduction Unit Coordinator Douglas Hyde says this was more than a hair braiding competition.
Douglas Hyde,
"I really am proud to see the skills which were displayed. I want to say that I am proud of you guys."
The first place finisher Nellie Trapp won $100 and a opportunity to work at Debbie's Salon. The second place braider took home $5. All the young men walked off with freshly braided hair.
