Giovanni Belizaire
Youth Konect is starting 2021 off the right way; by highlighting young individuals in Saint Lucia who’ve made an impact in society with our Youth of the Month Project.
"True charity is the desire to be useful to others with no thought of recompense."
At 22 years of age, Giovanni Belizaire is the founder of the Butterfly Effect Initiative; a Saint Lucian based charity organization established to help those in need. Currently enrolled at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Giovanni is pursuing a Bachelor's Degree, majoring in Marketing. Have you ever heard of the Butterfly Effect Initiative? We wanted to share what both Giovanni and his organization are about!
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What is the Butterfly Effect?
“The Butterfly Effect Initiative is a NPO (non-profit organization) that was launched with the intention to do, but not limited to, these three things:
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Raise funds for students of all ages to acquire textbooks and uniforms.
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Spread awareness of the fun and joys received through being charitable in your youth and remove the ‘boring’ or ‘tiring’ stigma of being charitable when there’s fun, enjoyable and less time consuming ways to give back.
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Raise mental health awareness through the use of social media posts and tips.”
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The name ‘Butterfly Effect’ comes as a result of wanting people to give back after seeing what being charitable and having a good heart can do. “Hopefully,” Giovanni added, “the works of this organization could spark something amazing in somebody down the line.”
What made you interested in charity work?
“I endured a personal experience overseas where I lost my debit card and couldn’t have it replaced for months. That resulted in me living an extremely humble lifestyle for a period of months which contributed to my depression. One night I realized that the temporary reality I’ve been faced with, is a permanent reality for many people and if I could be empathetic of that fact, then maybe it would help me feel better about the situation I was in. That empathy then drove me to want to do more for people around me, and considering the fact that it can be extremely exhausting, painful and demotivating with all those constraints, having to go to school or to provide for your family was stressful. But the impact that it had, was what birthed the Butterfly Effect Initiative.”
Have you faced any challenges and what has the support been like?
“Fortunately I haven’t faced any grand setbacks. People have been supportive and have sometimes requested ways they can contribute and help. The support has been tremendous, from social media to the communities where we drop off donations. I am truly grateful for everyone who’s ever supported in any way or have been positively affected by this cause. Words cannot describe.”
What future plans do you have for your organization?
“Short term plans include working with some corporate entities and social media influencers to both get more financial support for these families and to spread the word of how cool it is to do charity! Long Term plans include branching out to different countries and turning this, not only into a regional, but into an international organization, helping families and spreading awareness all over the world.”
Any additional comments?
“Lastly, take a look at someone you see everyday and ask yourself if you’d have the strength to endure what this person may be going through. If the answer is no, then ask yourself what you can do to make that person’s life just a little bit better. Afterwards, tell me if the smile on their face doesn’t lighten up your entire week! Giving back is good for your mental, so why not develop healthy coping mechanisms to deal with our mental states during these extremely troubling times!”
With his end goal in life being an aspiring global philanthropist, Youth Konect wishes Giovanni and the Butterfly Effect Initiative a charitable future!
Follow the Butterfly Effect on Instagram (@butterflyeffectinitiative) and support them so they can support others!