Growing up I was a very quiet and soft spoken person and a small build. I was the youngest at home and the only boy with two sisters. I didnt have a big brother, but I had a cousin who played that role and that sufficed. In primary school I had some challenges, one of which I would never forget.
In one particular grade I had a rough time; I don’t think i was one of the teacher’s favorites, and being the smallest and the quietest weren’t helpful either. The teacher would pinch, and beat me and said a lot of mean things to me because I was a little slower than the rest of the other children in the class.
That year I placed at the bottom of the class and I felt very ashamed because I had to repeat that grade. I asked to be put in a different class at the beginning of the term the following year because I felt I couldn’t learn in the environment which the teacher created; I was fearful
This time I prevailed. I put in extra effort and I was among the top in the class that year. I was so excited and happy, not just for the position but for I saw growth in myself. I remember asking myself how can I continue to be at the top? I never wanted the feeling to go away
I went through the rest of my primary school life with higher self-esteem than I had before and in 2004 I was successful at the common entrance exams.
I went to Grenada Seventh Day Adventist Comprehensive School. Life got a little harder because in that same year hurricane Ivan struck and shook Grenadians out of their minds.
My home at the time lost its roof on the main house but the kitchen stayed. most of our valuables were gone, even my school clothes! Luckily I found it in some bushes nearby. I remember my family having to sleep in the kitchen; it wasn’t big but it was enough for us.
I walked to school every day, because I didn’t want to miss out. I had dreamed of becoming a Dr. one day.
I was happy even though the hurricane left us worse off. I coped in school through this, I was not at the top but I wasn’t failing either
It was in form three I really started to feel the pressure as both me and my sister were in secondary school at the same time. I knew it was hard for my parents, but saving them the bus fare was not enough I decided that I had to find a job to try to help. That summer I got a job in a furniture shop sanding furniture. I fought through it even though I suffer with chronic sinusitis
when school reopened in September, I was able to buy all the necessities to go back to school, school shoes, bag etc. I felt independent and it felt good however I quickly realized that balancing a job and going to school was not easy as it seemed. Working three days a week after school left me tired and hardly any time to study. I was drained mentally, physically and emotionally.
I managed to graduate and worked for two more years after that. But, harder times struck and things were slow at the shop I had to find something else to do. I was unemployed after that, I didn’t feel like I was wasting time though, because our house was being rebuilt and I spent most of my time working on it. I was having fun, and realized that I had a most useful tool. My hands!
I used to cut my close friends and nephews hair in my mother’s yard and I realized I was getting good at it. What I did was select a few good pieces of material from our old house and build a little shop where I could cut hair I saw it as an opportunity and there was a market for it
that has kept me going financially ever since.
I continued to explore myself all the while, accepting new challenges with a brave face and picking up new hobbies through which I acquired some skills. In 2014 my girlfriend participated in the inaugural face of Grenada modelling competition and told me that she had to make an outfit out of recyclable material.
After listening to her go on and on about how she wanted her dress to look, many sketches and one dress later. I wasn’t satisfied. Being the patient person that I am I took the dress apart after she and her friend left. I wanted to create the perfect dress. I came up with a different idea of how to construct the dress that would steal the show
I worked all night, rolling over 200 newspaper sheets and adding details and accessories to complete the look. When I saw the dress onstage that night I felt very proud. I made that!
I was overwhelmed when the MC announced that she had gotten the title ‘best recycled wear’ …this could be the start of something great I thought
A few people reached out to me after that to make dresses for pageants and fashion shows and it’s been only one show thus far that one of my dresses didn’t take the title.
I never thought I was capable of creating beautiful art with recyclable material. Art through fashion; Igniting ideas
I created a Facebook page where I can post pictures with all my designs and within a month was catching the eyes of producers and designers regionally and internationally.
I do hope that one day in the near future I can see my designs onstage in the international arena
I’ve taken my life experiences and used them as life lessons and I consider myself to be successful. I may not be wealthy, but I possess skills, talent and an attitude which no one can take away from me.
I have gone from shy and quiet to confident, entrepreneur, a team player and a role model in my community. P.S God isn’t finished with me yet, I am Franc Roberts and #iamgrenadian
