Jamaica 4-H Clubs Crowns 2024 Youth Ambassadors

The Jamaica 4-H Clubs has named 17-year-old Rhondre Elliott and 18-year-old Deneila Wright as its 2024 Youth Ambassadors.

The announcement was made at the Club’s National Achievement Day, staged at the 4-H Training Centre in Denbigh, Clarendon, on May 10.

Students from two colleges secured the most coveted awards, more popularly referred to as ‘Boy and Girl of the Year’.

Mr. Elliott, who hails from Munro College in St. Elizabeth, won the title for his innovative skincare product made from the Sechium Edule fruit, known locally as ‘Cho-Cho’, while Miss Wright, who hails from Knox College in Clarendon, gained victory for her take on an organic Spirulina hair treatment.

In an interview with JIS News, Mr. Elliott explained his motivation for entering the competition and how it subsequently led to his victory.

“I entered this competition last year, gaining first runner-up at the national level, and not being satisfied with that, I decided to come again, aiming for the national title,” he said.

He described what his product entailed, as well as a major discovery that occurred during the lotion’s developmental process.

“This year we went with Cho-Cho, something that not many people tend to use unless they are cooking soups or other dishes, but we wanted to do something different,” Mr. Elliott said, as he explained the reasoning behind his skin lotion.

“There were a number of steps that were included, and we had to use some additional ingredients, [because] Cho-Cho is a plant that is really water-based. It is really good for the hydration of the skin; however, by itself it cannot form a lotion,” Mr. Elliott said.

He noted that through several research and testing phases, the quality of the product gradually improved.

“We originally created this product in January [2024]. Throughout [that period] we made at least three or four batches of the product, each time improving something about the product. We had to add preservatives, some fragrance, Vitamin E oil and aloe vera as well,” Mr. Elliott said.

Meanwhile, the 17-year-old champion holds firm in the belief that the agricultural sector is filled with opportunities for the youth.

“Agriculture is the backbone of any country. Young people getting involved in agriculture is vital for the future. [We] are the backbone of society. [We] have brilliant minds [so] we can come up with creative and innovative strategies and ideas to improve agriculture [and] improve efficiency,” he added.

For her part, the Female Youth Ambassador, Miss Wright, joined in the endorsement, encouraging her peers and others to “get involved”.

“There must be something in the [Jamaica] 4-H Clubs for you. We have various sectors. We have the agricultural aspect. We have home economics. We have service and volunteering, [and] we have leadership,” she pointed out.

Miss Wright, who was in disbelief when she was announced the winner, confessed that it was because of her years of persistence, willingness and involvement in the Club that she was able to reap the “fruits of her labour” and shared her plans going forward.

“I am extremely grateful for the $1 million that has been invested in me by [the Jamaica 4-H Clubs]. I will be using half of it in my business and the other half will be invested in my education,” she shared.

The award-winning project, she described, was a fusion of hair-nourishing ingredients that she hoped could solve a challenge she observed with other hair treatment products.

“Because a lot of persons have the concern that with castor oil their hair will become thick and they don’t want that, I included the Spirulina, Aloe Vera, Rosemary, and Coconut Oil, so it softens the hair while contributing to its growth and moisture,” Miss Wright said.

She noted that her initial product was an Aloe Vera hair treatment, but after researching the benefits of Spirulina and the other ingredients, she decided to incorporate them into her product and was gracefully assisted by her Parish Manager.

For her part, Parish Manager for the Jamaica 4-H Clubs in Clarendon, Melissa Trowers, said she was not surprised by Miss Wright’s victory, as the student was “highly self-motivated”, even ahead of the competition and that such motivation fueled their efforts to constantly improve and expand the product.

She revealed that “Spirulina is an underutilised crop” that was incredibly challenging to incorporate, but thankfully a youth farmer who specialised in manufacturing oils, offered assistance throughout the process.

Ms. Trowers said that at the final product formulation stage, she was able to utilise the product to aid in regrowing her hair, after previously experiencing hair loss.

Having witnessed first-hand the work of the Jamaica 4-H Clubs within her parish, Ms. Trowers said the organisation “is impacting students in Clarendon [and] we want to see our students becoming entrepreneurs. We want to see our students [embracing] the idea of smart technology [and] starting their businesses”.

“It feels good and that is what this [event] is about – impacting our youth to further themselves in agriculture, agro-processing, starting an enterprise and becoming an entrepreneur,” she further added.

In addition to the cash prize of $1 million each, and the most coveted title in 4-H locally, the Jamaica 4-H Clubs 2024 Male and Female Youth Ambassadors also walked away with certificates, trophies, seeds, seedlings, training courses and other prizes.