FASHION designer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Sonia Noel has recently returned to Georgetown after she took her ‘Confidence Becomes You’ programme to the Fairview and Lethem Villages in Regions eight and nine. “The month of April is going exceptionally well,” Noel expressed in a social media post lately; as she recalled how the programme, which was started five years ago, was held for the first time via Zoom last year. The Sonia Noel Foundation in collaboration with IWOKRAMA held the programme last year. She also collaborated with her good friend

Raquel Thomas-Caesar who accompanied her to Fairview Village. “Thank You Raquel…for caring for the people in Fairview. You are going beyond to add value to the people in that community,” she expressed. This time around, the team was able to facilitate afternoon tea parties and storytelling after the session. The young ladies who participated were inspired by the stories from the 365 Invaluable Life Experiences and Women Across Borders. During the programme, Noel was able to use her own experiences to teach the girls that shyness and lack of confidence can be

overcome with hard work. “I saw myself in so many of them. I told them I had to work on being confident and that’s why I am so passionate about the subject today,” she told the Buzz. Noel, who herself grew up in a small village, seized the opportunity to help the girls learn proper etiquette while dining and so forth and allowed them an opportunity to read in front of others and then discuss points from the books.

Meanwhile, some of the tips that Noel shared with the girls on how to build their self-confidence are: make a date and set a small, achievable goal; commit to the task, take baby steps, hold yourself accountable, motivate yourself and engage in positive self-talk, don’t compare yourself to others, don’t strive for perfection, don’t beat yourself up when you make a mistake, focus on the things you can change, do things that you enjoy, and celebrate small achievements. She pointed out that hanging around toxic people and paying too much attention to what others say about you are two main “confidence killers.” Bad posture can also affect one’s confidence as good posture increases energy. “Being bullied or abused. People who have been bullied or abused can create a lead a life of fear. Unattainable beauty standards – social media can cause a lot of harm especially in regards to young girls. When girls compare their bodies to what is seen on social media, it increases their chance of having a poor body image,” Noel also pointed out. The participants were also given follow up work and assignments. “This programme has helped me tremendously from the simple function of introducing myself properly to the major discovery of realising my true purpose,” participant Akeisha Henry has expressed.
“This session was fantastic and the content will be helpful to build confidence for all women. The ladies anxiously await the next session,” said Lethem Counselor Megan Thomas.