Tunapuna braider builds her own success, now mentors young girls to become entrepreneurs
What began as a skill for Tunapuna entrepreneur Latoya has developed into a career, a beauty business and an opportunity to help another generation of young women create their own path.
Latoya, owner of Latoya’s Beauty Bar, describes herself as a braider, educator and mentor who is now using the experience she gained through her craft to train young girls and women.
Her focus includes young women who dropped out of school, did not complete their education or became mothers at a young age.
Rather than simply teaching them how to braid, Latoya wants her students to understand how a practical skill can be developed into a profession and eventually a business.
She said some trainees are also given the opportunity to work as paid interns at her salon, allowing them to earn while developing experience with customers and working in a professional environment.
Her mentorship starts young.
Latoya said she trains girls from as young as eight years old.
During an appearance on “On What Yuh Know”, she proudly showcased the work of one of her 14-year-old students, highlighting what young people can accomplish when given an opportunity to learn and practise a craft.
Her message to young people is that there is more than one pathway to success.
“Use your hands. Make something out of yourself,” Latoya encouraged.
“Not everybody is supposed to be a doctor or a lawyer. Some of us are supposed to be entrepreneurs.”
For members of the public interested in learning the craft, Latoya’s Beauty Bar offers a one-month course costing TT$1,800. Latoya said payment plans are available and participants receive certification after completing the programme.
Although much of her mentorship focuses on girls and young women, she said men who are willing to learn are also welcome.
Latoya’s Beauty Bar operates in Tunapuna from Monday to Saturday, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., and can also be found on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
Having developed her own career through the beauty industry, Latoya is now focused on helping young people recognise the potential in their own abilities.
“I am the living proof that once you take your craft serious, you can make something out of yourself,” she said.
For the young people passing through her salon, the lesson is therefore about more than braiding. It is about learning a skill, developing confidence and discovering that their own hands could become the starting point for their future.
