Winning on and off the tennis court

Elizabeth is 13 years old and holds a top ten ranking among 14-year-olds in Southern California. She is already defeating top-ranked players in the 18-year-old division. Her sister Mary, at 11, is also a top-ranked player and dominating her age group. Mary won her first tournament at the age of 6.

Both girls started playing tennis as infants by hitting balls of socks across their living room. Their mother, Yvonne Profit, recognized their talent and saw it as an opportunity to develop sportsmanship and character and help them earn athletic scholarships at top national universities. So far, they have exceeded her expectations. Click here to read more.

Thanks to MBI

Kimberly Anyadike Youngest African-American Female to Pilot Cross-Country

"Unlike most teenagers, Kimberly Anyadike did not spend her summer vacation at the pool or in the malls, rather, the 15-year-old, participated in a program that deals with wind shear, touchdown zones and the center of gravity at an interactive aviation museum on the West Coast."

"Anyadike, a student pilot at Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum [TAM] in Compton, Calif., said that her interest in aviation was piqued three years ago when she first learned about the innovative program that offers minority students hands-on flight instruction and an introduction to opportunities in the field of aviation."

"After three years of working full-time for flight time, Anyadike made history as the youngest African American female to fly across country – logging 7,000 miles – from Compton to Newport News, Va., in 13 days. Although it was a solo flight for the enthusiastic teenager, she had the benefit of a legend in the cockpit behind her." Continue reading here

Thanks to MBI

Annual Barbados Charity Ball

Join us at the 6th Annual Barbados Charity Ball on Saturday, June 13th 2009 at Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 255 Front Street West, Toronto. Dress: Black Tie or Elegant Dinner Attire.

Tickets are $200.00 each, or buy a table of ten before April 1st and save $200.00.

The Barbados Charity Ball raises funds for Barbados Ball Canada Aid, to fund scholarships to Barbadian youth and assist charitable organizations that provide HIV/AIDS eduction and awareness programs.

For tickets contact: Peggy Murray 416.614.3143 or pmurra073@sympatico.ca, Joan Rowe 416.756.1070 or joan_anita_rowe@hotmail.com, Jessica Carrington 905.472.1188 orjcarring@sympatico.ca; or contact us by e-mail at bbca@sympatico.ca.

Barbados Ball Canada Aid is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting Barbadian youth. Our focus is on supporting Barbadian youth in Canada, and where possible, youth living in Barbados, through university or college education scholarships; and by providing financial assistance to charitable organizations that provide youth-centered HIV/AIDS education.

BBCA is a cooperative effort between a number of Barbadian organizations in Canada, Barbadian-Canadians, and friends of Barbados. While currently a non-profit organization, we are working towards charitable status to enhance our fundraising capability and help us achieve our objectives.

The Barbados Charity Ball is our major annual fundraising event and is a gala Black Tie affair at which guests enjoy a fabulous dinner with Barbadian highlights, dancing to live entertainment, a sampling of the flora, fauna, sights and sounds of Barbados; and of course, good Bajan company. The Ball has been held each year since 2004 and is not to be missed. I invite you to join us at this annual gathering of Bajans and all who love Barbados; and help us assist our youth.

We welcome your feedback and your support; and look forward to your company at the upcoming Annual Barbados Charity Ball.

Support the Education of Barbadian Youth

Donate to the endowment fund for The Barbados Canadian Friendship Scholarship at York University and help safeguard Barbados’s future through supporting the education of Barbadian youth. See the Scholarships page for more information. Source

Phalyn Perry: Young People Who Rock

We see lots of stories about the perpetuation of gang violence from generation to generation. It isn’t until a member of a new generation stops and says, “enough” that the cycle stops. That’s what 16-year-old Phalyn Perry did.

She grew up in the gang neighborhood of the Raymond Avenue Crips in Los Angeles. Her father was an original member of the Crips, involved in violence and selling drugs. He went to prison when she was 10 years old for a 19-year sentence on robbery. Phalyn visits her father in prison and says he has now changed his ways. She hopes she will be able to deliver his message of non-violence outside the prison bars. She says, “He always tells me, ‘Bonehead, you’re a very intelligent young girl. Don’t chase boys, chase your school work because it will all pay off in the long run.’”

Today, she actually chases motivation. As a member of Common Unity Reaching Everyone, or CURE, and A Better L.A., Phayln uses her story to inspire others to block out the negativity and hang with the right crowd like she did. Through weekly community events, she inspires other young people growing up with temptation to join a gang, to also say, “enough.” source

South Africa's young entrepreneurs to hone their skills at 5th Annual Entrepreneurship Development Conference

Young entrepreneurs will be given the opportunity to debate and hone their skills when the Umsobomvu Youth Fund hosts its 5th Annual Entrepreneurship Development Conference next month.

The four-day conference, which will start on 1 July at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, will create a platform for the entrepreneurship development sector to share and debate ideas, practices and models. The conference also contributes to the increase of Total Entrepreneurship Activity (TEA) in South Africa, especially among young people.
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