–Young entrepreneurs push Yogasthenics and Wrap Century

FOR Sa-Ra Yawoada and Nise-Akuosua Oduyefo, embracing their African culture plays a paramount role in their lives. It is this lifestyle, in turn, that not only provides for them an enlightened sense of consciousness, but also forms the foundation for their entrepreneurial endeavours. The young, vibrant pair, who are also extremely connected to their Guyanese heritage, strive to, therefore, be shining examples of what it is like to be proud Afro-Guyanese in the way they dress, the way they speak, and how they live their lives overall. “Wherever we go, we receive compliments from people of all races and cultures,” Sa-Ra said. He and his partner are both dressed in traditional African wear, complete with head wraps and other accessories, and not just as part of the Emancipation observances, but because it is part of their everyday lives.  “People give us the utmost respect; some may even tip their hats to us. They respect us because it is rare to see young people

embrace their traditional culture as much as we do,” he said.  Sa-Ra describes himself as an “ancient futurist”, a millennial with an old soul, and his choice to live his life in the traditional African way stems from his own family. “I was raised in Guyana where I saw my family represent the culture whenever they can, and I see how the rest of the world treats people of African descent who do not have a sense of self. They treat them as next to nothing,” Sa-Ra said.  “So I made sure the way my parents viewed me — they always called me ‘lion cub’, and my aunts called me ‘prince’ — is what I represented. I wanted to make sure that we are not represented as 400 years of slavery but as Kings and Queens. More so, there has been a resurgence of consciousness, and I want to represent consciousness; I don’t want to preach, but I want to embody it and inspire others.” For Nise, her reason for reverting to her roots was a bit different, but meeting Sa-Ra helped to reaffirm a belief that had been growing inside her that she needed to get in touch with her heritage. “My parents didn’t have much African culture influence in the household. But I moved to New York at age six, and I fell into the American standard and society: The way they lived; the way they eat canned foods; the way they ‘permed’ hair, and it started to consume me, and I became of their culture and I lost everything about me as a true Guyanese woman of African descent,” she said. It was this sense of losing herself that drew her back to Guyana. “Then I met Sa-Ra, and he was already part of that culture and I was able to embody an African woman one day at a time.”

ENTREPRENEURSHIPThe young couple are the owners of the Morocco & Co.  Production Company, and are currently working to build their empire to promote African culture. One such venture is seen in their brand, Yogastehics, which specialises in a combination of Kemetic Smai Tawi and Calisthenics, and promotes healthy ‘I-Tal’ diets and meal preps.  “The idea came about in 2015 on a trip from Linden to Georgetown. I was sharing the idea with my cousin in that car ride, and he gave me the blessings and said it was a great idea,” Sa-Ra said. Later that same night, he met Nise and, taking it as a sign, they embarked on their journey to start the business together. “Nise already had experience in childcare, health and  nutrition, and I have similar experiences. “So we fused our resources together, and we were able to solidify the gameplan, working with doctors (who were also very close friends), getting insightful information on nutrition, health, diet etc.  “And that led to us to being able to make the brand,” he said. Smai Tawi is the oldest form of yoga ever practised, and was invented by the ancient Egyptians. It is a Kemetic (Ancient African) phrase, meaning the ‘The Union of Two Lands’. It is symbolic of the Higher and Lower Consciousness coming together to balance and keep the mind, body and spirit as one.Sa-Ra and Nise have conducted their Yogasthenics classes in Brooklyn and Manhattan, and are now looking to bring the classes to Guyana. So far, they have held one class in Guyana to test the response to the practice. The pair intends to have a formal launch of Yogasthenics in September.

‘WRAP CENTURY’
Coming off of their success with Yogasthenics, the idea for their other business, “Wrap Century”, was born. The brand itself was actually adopted by a business partner who

sought out Sa-Ra —  who is also a professional print and runway model — to model some of her pieces. “But she used to just distribute the pieces; she didn’t know how to make wraps, so I used my expertise to help her to start making them. I contacted people I know that can sew to make a product,” Sa-Ra said. The woman later handed the brand over to Sa-Ra, seeing its growth and his interest in taking it further. Then, in 2016, Sa-Ra and Nise brought Wrap Century home to Guyana. Thus far, they have seen great response from the Guyanese market, which loves their head wraps and other pieces.As they promote African culture through their work, both Nise and Sa-Ra are aware that their way of life and their products will therefore be shared even beyond the African race, and they have no problem with this, so long as the use of the African culture is handled in a respectful manner. “I feel, with the acknowledgement of what has inspired you, you can do as you please. Just don’t degrade or diminish the creators of what you are emulating; it is important to know the history of it. “Anyone can wear anything, but some people just do it because it’s a new trend. But everything should be done with purpose and intention,” Nise said. “Some people do it for the likes, we do it for the love; self-love and the love of our history,” Sa-Ra added. The young entrepreneurs are also encouraging other young people not to run away from their culture, or their country, adding that they should seek knowledge and use that knowledge and expertise to invest in Guyana.