While most 18-year-olds are anticipating their next move, 18-year-old Khandi Dabeena Kezia Griffith has already begun experiencing her movement into a more privileged economic position in society with two small businesses under her belt.
Khandi Griffith
Though her background isn’t filled with “glitz and glamour,” Khandi is focused on cementing her name in society. Born on the 4th March 2002 at the Georgetown Medical Centre to Aben Griffith & Abbigail Munroe, she was endowed with a blessing of creativity that only time could have exposed.
In personal reflection, Griffith cited that she was ‘’an only child for seven years and it was fun but a bit boring, having been the first grandchild, first niece, first great-niece” before the arrival of her three (3) siblings.
At the age of 9 years, I started playing the piano and later wrote the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music (ABRSM), where I was successful through grades 1- 3. I received a distinction in the first grade, and from this, I was able to land myself a gig of teaching interested persons how to play the keyboard at ‘In Sync Music School.
Khandi attended the New Life Ministries School and the Cumberland Primary School before she was awarded the New Amsterdam Multilateral Secondary School (NAMS) as a result of the Secondary School’s Entrance Examination.
This was a prized achievement for her and her family. Successively, in 2018, Khandi graduated as the ‘Best Art Student’ and copped eight (8) out of the nine (9) subjects at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.
Jewellery offered by Sunshine Costume Jewellery & Hair Accessories
This paved the way for her new venture as a student at the prestigious Saint Joseph High School to read for her Associate’s Degree. As a teen with voluminous talents, Khandi has donned multiple hats, but the most prominent of them have been an entrepreneur, a graphic designer and a music teacher.
As she aims to cement her name in the business industry, she launched her first business, “Alpha Creations,” on the 19th of July 2018, which was later trailed by “Sunshine Costume Jewellery & Hair Accessories” on the 6th November 2020.
“Alpha Creations- started as a hobby while I attended NAMS and after CSEC, I was uncertain of what I wanted to become, so this led to the start of my brand, where I can be my own boss and do the one thing I love doing,” this enthused entrepreneur said.
Alpha Creations currently offers video/audio editing, the creation of flyers, tickets, logos, t-shirt designs, invitations, posters, and brochures, while Sunshine procures and markets anklets, earrings, headbands, waistbands, necklaces, waistbands, among others.
“With Alpha Creations, I should say that great support was given last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A lot of persons were motivated to start a brand, so was I’’ Khandi expressed.
As she conversed, it was clear that she was experiencing the startup challenges of insufficient exposure like most small businesses would face locally, but she was determined to overcome it with her creativity and determination to succeed.
On the other hand, “Sunshine Costume Jewellery & Hair accessories birthed from my love for fashion and the passion for dressing with accessories. Hence, through ‘Sunshine’ I can support my childhood dream of becoming a fashion designer. Noteworthily, Sunshine is also a business that supports other small businesses by buying their products and selling them,” Griffith posited.
With exposure being the greatest of the challenges, persons are still unaware of her businesses and what she has to offer as a ‘creative.’
“In Alpha, I give my clients the option to choose from a variety of designs, etc., so from that, I’ll be properly guided. For instance, with logos, each client will be entitled to three drafts from which they’ll choose one that best meets their needs,” she stated.
Within a ten (10) years goal, Griffith intends to open a School of Arts that exhibits the likes of students pursuing Performing Arts, Visual Arts, and Media skills.
She envisions the school as a place where persons will have the opportunity to be exposed to all the necessary materials required to enhance their craft to become independent members of society.
In closing, Khandi stated that she is ‘’self-taught’’ and with the Arts school, she’ll be able ‘’to give, unto the young minds, all the tools necessary to walk in their purpose.’’
With an established school, I am hoping to collaborate with various government/international agencies to provide the students with international certificates that would allow them to exhibit and build their craft along with knowledge beyond the borders of Guyana. For myself, I would like to be able to own my own house, car and be financially independent, which will also facilitate the start of my own family.
Contact Information for Khandi Griffith
- Facebook Page: Alpha Creations by Khandi Griffith and Sunshine Costume Jewellery
- Instagram: Alpha Creations and Sunshine Jewellery Store
- Telephone #: +592- 616 – 5922
- Email: [email protected] and [email protected]
