Gibba Edward

To get a glimpse into why Miss Gibba Edward decided to start YouthKonect, let's take a look at how she brought it to life.

Helping others is the way we help ourselves.

- Oprah Winfrey

---

About YouthKonect's Founder

As a tenderhearted individual with her peers, Gibba Edward has pushed herself until she accomplished her dream of running a non-profit organization aimed at helping others. Her organization, YouthKonect is a safe space where people can feel free to share, call on or listen to one another.

She attended St Joseph’s Convent where she was a member of the Peer Helpers and Young Leaders Clubs which further drove her passion in interacting and helping her peers. With her kindred spirit, she became the Head Prefect and House Captain which highlighted her leadership qualities.

Soon after, Gibba became a student of the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College (SALCC), where she joined the Interact Club that made her understand human behaviour and emotions better and how to interact with others in a way that made them feel comfortable enough to share their lives. This gained her keen interest in wanting to deal with young people even more.

One of her highlights while at SALCC was definitely being a part of the blue House...the Lewis Lions. The camaraderie amongst the members created a family where everyone felt comfortable. Being around a certain group of people mostly everyday, building trust and creating relationships was therapy for Gibba. She was and still is a proud Lion who was not only a Cheerleader but during her tenure at the College, she helped bring her house to victory one year where the Lions won sports overall!

When asked one time why she liked to help others, she simply responded by saying “I love lighting up my peers faces and giving a listening ear when needed. Advice is good and all but just being there is everything!”

Gibba grew up in a disorganized household, with visitations from the other parent making life hard and complicated sometimes. Her childhood was not an easy one nor the best as she had difficulties trying to maintain good grades and keep up with extracurricular activities like sports. With her emotions scattered, there were times where loneliness was a constant. Her mental and physical health took a hard blow, all the while her social life had become affected because of a lack of communication with her peers who could understand her. Gibba saw some light in her life after visits to counselors became a part of her normal. The support of a few friends was an added bonus.

The main goal of YouthKonect is for people to connect with us whether you just want to talk or you have a serious issue that you need help with. With a dedicated team of young people supporting her, Gibba intends to take YouthKonect and change the way in which the youth confide in each other. So many young people are battling with demons and just want an avenue to overcome them. YouthKonect is not just about listening and giving advice, it’s about being there for someone when they need.