Young mums beat the odds to win national award
If you had told Shadrach Bartlett and Toyah Hempel seven months ago that they were going to create a successful business and win a national award, they would never have believed you.
Yet that is exactly what they have done, all while raising their young tamariki.
With their business, iSoaknSoothe, the two students at Te Tipu Whenua o Pa Harakeke, the Flaxmere Teen Parent Unit based at Flaxmere College, were recognised in this year’s Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) competition.
They came first equal in the regional Business Resilience Award and second in the Ministry of Youth Development Award for Resilience, selected from candidates around the country.
MYD sponsor the National Excellence Award for Resilience and said: “The girls showed incredible resilience this year while facing additional challenges as young parents, including facing equities created by the digital divide and dealing with parenthood”.
Despite being notified that they had made the top 20 teams in the region, Shadrach (21) and Toyah (18) did not expect to win an award, let alone two.
iSoaknSoothe, founded by Shadrach Bartlett and Toyah Hempel
Due to work and family commitments, they were unable to attend the Regional Finals last Tuesday and were “shocked” to find out from their teacher Judy Waapu who attended and did not know either, that they had won an award.
It is a remarkable achievement for the pair who started at the TPU around the same time three years ago with hardly any NCEA credits to their name, and a lack of self-belief and motivation.
Now, they have achieved NCEA Level 1, 2 and 3, as well as a National Certificate in Early Childhood Education and Care and are working towards University Entrance (UE).
Their business, which was born out of a genuine desire to find a solution for Toyah’s three-year-old daughter Kora-Leigh’s eczema, has given them much more than accolades to their name.
Kora-Leigh, along with Shadrach’s two children; four-year-old son Kadis and two-year-old daughter Nivayaleigh-Pride now have clear skin and take pride in calling the 100 per cent natural body wash and moisturiser “theirs”.
Shadrach and Toyah now also believe in themselves.
“I had no confidence in myself at all and I didn’t think I would get to the end of the YES programme but now that I have, I know that I am capable of doing anything,” Shadrach said.
Body wash - One of the products made by iSoaknSoothe
Toyah says she now has a “different outlook on her ability to achieve something”.
“I had so much self-doubt, so to see that we actually did it and our hard work is finally paying off, that’s the biggest accomplishment for me.”
Although all teams were impacted with the eight weeks of lockdown in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Ms Waapu said Shadrach and Toyah had to deal with extra challenges associated with it.
While other teams used the time in lockdown to progress their businesses and could communicate via Zoom, Shadrach and Toyah were unable to do so as they had no internet at home and had to look after their young children.
In the second wave of Covid, at a time when there were lots of seasonal coughs and colds about, due to Ministry of Health directives, whereby no one could attend educational facilities with any cold or flu symptoms, they lost a further two weeks.
“They lost essentially a whole term and they still got everything done, so that’s huge.”
Toyah says seeing other teams progress made them “hungrier to get to where they were”.
Ms Waapu says the young women not only had “the courage to do it” but the “determination to make it work”.
But Shadrach and Toyah say they could not have done it without the support of Judy and Melanie Fowler, Head of the Teen Parent Unit.
Seeing how the young women have succeeded and grown despite their challenges, has made Mrs Fowler “in awe” of them.
“They’re just really smart intelligent young women who I am really proud to know.”
She has seen both grow considerably.
“It’s amazing to see how they now have that self-belief and confidence because we always knew they had it in them.”
“I think it’s just going to open so many doors for them, whether or not the business continues, which is what we want. We want everyone else to see just how amazing they are.”
Their success is inspiring other mums, not just in participating in the YES competition.
“I think for the other mums it is seeing someone they can relate to who is experiencing success. It is really important to have those role models that they can relate to so they can see that that can be them.”
Mrs Fowler says their journey has motivated other young mums, some of whom may have previously looked at enrolling in the unit.
“It’s already inspiring other mums on their journeys to empower themselves and better themselves,” she said.
The unit can cater for up to 25 students who are wanting to complete their level one, two or three NCEA qualifications.
Mrs Fowler says they work “really hard” to make sure it is a “caring, supportive and non-judgmental” environment.
“The girls have commented that it’s got a really lovely feel and is calm and that’s exactly what we want. A place that they can succeed and be themselves and grow.”
She would love to see more mums find their true potential.
To purchase iSoaknSoothe products email isoaknsoothe@gmail.com or visit: www.isoaknsoothe.mystorbie.com
