By Francis Quamina Farrier

“I WAS born at the Georgetown Public Hospital on July 22, 1990.” So says CARICOM Youth Ambassador Samantha Sheoprashad, the brilliant daughter of Rajendra and Beena Sheoprashad.

The former student of the Annandale Secondary School and the University of Guyana, is now back in Guyana, after spending a few weeks in the United States of America, where she was engaged in many projects and workshops dealing with mental health stigma and youth unemployment.

In an interview with her in the USA, she revealed some of the early challenges in her young life; “I had experienced a period of depression …which had led me to become suicidal at one point,” she explained. “However, with the right type of counselling and therapy, I recovered. I took the opportunity to devote my life to create mental health awareness and help individuals with mental health conditions. My experiences revealed how broken my society is.”

Samantha’s story is one which our current upcoming playwrights can draw inspiration from, instead of their characters caving in and committing suicide.

As it is already known by many Guyanese, the World Health Organisation (WHO) research publicised that Guyana is one of the highest suicide ranking countries in the world. And according to a report from the Borgen Project, roughly 43 per cent of Guyana’s population lives below the poverty line, the youth unemployment rate is over 30 per cent but the current estimates are closer to 40 per cent. Our playwrights have the opportunity, even responsibility, to write the kinds of plays which can be a source of inspiration to those in our society who are suffering like Samantha did in the past, instead of feeding the beast.

Continuing our discourse, Samantha stated, “My innovative side has allowed me to merge technology, strategies, and people to create solutions to solve social issues such as our high unemployment rate, mental health challenges and the high failure rates for Mathematics in Guyana.” It must be noted that this brilliant Guyanese is not passive as things in her country present opportunities for action. In fact, she is, like the financiers on the world famous Wall Street in downtown Manhattan, New York, very buoyant in dealing with those challenges. “I have created several campaigns, outreaches and videos highlighting youths’ views on mental health in Guyana, self-care work training and counselling services to help individuals. Some of my most popular contributions are, Mental Health Matters, Stay Alive app and a mental health article published on the Leading Change website.”

Samantha’s forcefulness in business and other pursuits has led her to be on the go for years now. “I co-founded a Digital Marketing and Software Company called Trifinity Solution,” she said. “This business has sustained me to complete my university degree in Computer Science. In 2016, I participated in my first international engagement at the Global Entrepreneur and Innovations Programme, held at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA.” That brought her international recognition. “My innovation in the area of depression was recognised and placed third in the pitch competition. My problem-solving model is utilising the community to add value to humanity by bringing together social workers, politicians, technologists and engineers to craft solutions which are inclusive of all target audiences at a greater magnitude.” Here is a person not yet 30 years of age, but achieving so much by dint of hard work and a belief in herself.

The “Eco-naire’s sustainability module will create more entrepreneurs who will grow our economy, solve problems and create jobs for individuals across Guyana and around the world. I see these entrepreneurs as the ones who will drive progress and prosperity in every sector and industry in all nations globally,” she stated.

In her native Guyana, Samantha saw a lot of young potentials we are yet to harvest. “My personal struggles to find a job still exist even though I have all those fancy titles and qualification to my name,” she pointed out. “Bottom line is I still cannot find the job or work. Every time I went for an interview and didn’t get through it pushed me into a situation where I felt more passionate about solving this problem.”
Yet, she has come out as a winner and someone who intends to fight the good fight with all her might and get things done not only for herself but also for others.

“A win for me is a win for those who are currently a statistic of the high unemployment issue. After winning one must be grateful for the opportunities and to be part of such supportive network,” she stated. “I felt very much encouraged and recognised as an innovator throughout the Caribbean Region. Not only have I gotten an award but I was given support by people in the room including donors and fellow contestants to continue to develop Eco-naire.”

Samantha said that her plans for the future is to continue to seek support, investors and partnership to develop Guyana’s and the Caribbean’s First DIGITAL ECO-SYSTEM – Eco-naire.