Our Creative Director, Deidra Deandra, was this year’s Queen’s Young Leaders Award Winner for Belize! David Beckham highly supports the program and was featured in Vogue Magazine along with all the 2016 Queen’s Young Leaders Award Winners, Prince Harry and Her Majesty The Queen. Thank you David Beckham for your support of leaders in service across the Commonwealth!
We are happy to announce that our Creative Director, Deidra Smith, has received The Queen’s Young Leaders Award for Belize. She has received this award for her work with youth and education in Belize. Below is a piece by Cayo Christian Academy where she has the scholarship program for which she received the award.
The Queen’s Young Leaders Programme is celebrating the announcement of 60 Queen’s Young Leaders from across the Commonwealth!
DEIDRA SMITH RECEIVES THE QUEEN’S YOUNG LEADERS AWARD
Tuesday, December 8, 2015 – We celebrate in Belize as Entrepreneur and Youth Advocate, Deidra Smith is set to receive the Queen’s Young Leaders Award. This honorable award exists to discover, celebrate and support exceptional young people from across the Commonwealth, leaving a lasting legacy for Her Majesty The Queen. Deidra will spend a week in the United Kingdom where she will receive her award at Buckingham Palace from Her Majesty The Queen. Deidra will also receive a tailored package of training, mentoring and networking from Cambridge University.
“I am honored to represent my country as the recipient of The Queen’s Young Leaders Award,” says Deidra, “I am hoping that this would inspire others to actively give of their time and resources to support the youth of our nation. The access to these resources will only elevate the work I do in Belize and I’m thankful for this recognition.”
In 2012, Deidra founded a scholarship program in the community that is home to Cayo Christian Academy to support young people to pursue higher education. Two students received scholarships for their high school education. Both received scholarships for their Academic Excellence and one recipient would not have been financially able to pursue higher education without this opportunity. Deidra took the commitment beyond financial provision and was very active with the student body. She started several clubs on campus and spearheaded the production of our school song. Her love for the students resulted in an invitation from us to join our Board of Directors and since she’s been on our team, she has impacted our institution greatly. We are proud of Deidra and her accomplishments. Her support for youth goes far beyond our school this award is well deserved! Congrats Deidra!
Deidra lives a life of purpose and chooses daily to be intentional in how she spends her time, wanting to leave a legacy that will inspire others to dream beyond their wildest imagination. Her passion is working with the youth and seeing them mature to be individuals who live a life of positive impact. She serves on over 10 teams in Belize and the United States and is often called on to speak encouraging messages to youth. She is a visionary and has founded her own company, Deidra Deandra, where she is the Manager and Creative Director. Deidra co-founded ID SEVEN in 2011, an organization dedicated to supporting the youth of Belize. Her word of advice, “The world is watching. That shouldn’t be a scary thought! It’s our chance to be examples that people will want to follow (Debbie Tillett).”
When asked if she had any final words, Deidra excitedly responded, “Go intentionally spend a few hours with a young person. Impart a little and watch how they inspire you.”
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For More Information Contact Deidra Here
Notes to Editors
Deidra Smith on Social Media
Twitter: @deidradeandra
Facebook: www.facebook.com/deidradeandra
The Queen’s Young Leaders Programme
www.queensyoungleaders.com
Today (December 9, 2015) the first TEDxBelmopan Talk was released. Belizeans especially have been patiently waiting for this release. Tony Rath’s TEDx Talk was titled “Photography and the Light of Respect.” Using photography as a tool to explore the world, acclaimed nature photographer Tony Rath takes us on four journeys where photography helped him learn life lessons about respect. From bird hunting and whale kills in the Faroe Islands, to kayaking unexplored canyons and being mesmerized by a small grey rainforest bird in Belize, Tony Rath uses his spectacular imagery to shed light on the meaning of respect.
Deidra Deandra with Tony Rath
Tony Rath is a well published editorial and commercial photographer based along the shore of the Caribbean Sea in the picturesque village of Dangriga, Belize.
He was born somewhere, and then grew up. Along the way he canoed the Quetico, flew gliders in the USAF, became a marine biologist; worked as a technician, diver and underwater photographer for the Smithsonian Institution; worked underwater on oil rigs, missile launch sites and submersibles off the California Coast; captained a sailboat across the Atlantic Ocean (twice) and through the Mediterranean and North Seas, commercial fished north of the Arctic Circle, lived in different cities and worked with different famous and important people.
To keep up with the latest from TEDxBelmopan visit their website www.tedxbelmopan.com or connect with them on Facebook.
Deidra Deandra is proud to be a Gold Sponsor for this event.
Related Topics: Deidra Deandra at TEDxBelmopan | First TEDx Event in Belize
Over the past months, I’ve been praying for opportunities to share and influence others using my testimony and life experiences. Today I got to share on a local show in Belize called Divaz Next Door. Divaz Next Door is a live show that discusses various topics targeted at “women and the men who love them.” It airs every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. on Plus Television (based in the Capital City – Belmopan).
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It was such a joy to be a guest on today’s show! We talked about being intentional about life, no matter what negatives may have happened to you. I got the opportunity to share a bit of my testimony, something I’ve not done outside of a private group. I touched a bit on life after being in a traffic accident and also discussed the effects of being raised by a single parent. God has really turned my situation around from a life of low self-esteem and a pity-me mindset to living beyond my circumstances and focusing on the legacy I want to leave. I’m ever so thankful for this opportunity to join these two inspirational ladies on Divaz Next Door and I’m excited to join them again later this month. Check out the recording of the show below.
Related Topics: TV: Let’s Talk About “The M Word”
I loved getting to sponsor such an awesome event by providing all the Graphic Design, Web Design and Printing Services. It is great to support such a forward-thinking event that aims to inspire  My favorite piece to create was the “Changing the Conversation” theme graphic. I took two quotations and gave them a little personality by adding faces; it was that simple and everyone loved it. It was fun to see it come alive off the computer and many people got to take photos with the little props we got made for the event (see photos below).
For my business, this was a big step too. I’ve never showcased a booth before and was quite nervous to show one at this event where so many business professionals gathered. It turned out to be a real success and I walked away with 8 new clients. This is where I’m reminded of where the scriptures say “It is better to give than to receive.” I thought I was giving a lot with the amount of time invested in the designs for the event only to have God outdo me (as always) by giving me more job opportunities. It was certainly a blessing to be the Creative Director and Web Curator for TEDxBelmopan and I’m thankful for the opportunity. See below some of the pieces I designed for this event.
Related Topics: Tony Rath’s TEDx Talk | First TEDx Event in Belize
Belmopan City, Belize – September 30, 2015—The inaugural TEDxBelmopan will be hosted in Belmopan City at the University of Belize Auditorium on October 1, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. A home to young leaders, innovators and change-makers, and an institute of learning, we believe this to be the ideal venue for TEDxBelmopan.
The independently organized event, licensed by TED, will include special presentations, TEDxActive Lab, TED Talks videos and will feature talks from invited speakers: Kalilah Enriquez, Janelle Chanona, Lisa M. Shoman, Tony Rath and Yasser Musa.
Feedback for the event has been overwhelming and spaces quickly filled up. Organizer Jeanelle Mencias said, “We have new messages in our inbox daily but can seat no more. To comply with TEDx rules, we can only host 100 attendees at our first event and we are currently at capacity.” Mencias also said this is the first of many, so keep an eye out for the next TEDx event in Belize!
TEDxBelmopan will be hosted under the theme “Changing the Conversation” in an attempt to prompt discussion on issues affecting Belize and the world at large. As the world advances, and Belize with it, this generation is more aware of the importance of changing the conversation on how we perceive and do things. It is our hope that attendees will be inspired and moved to dig deeper into these issues and continue the discussions long after TEDxBelmopan. Mencias said, “We are committed to creating an event where participants are challenged to communicate their passions in an exciting and engaging dialogue. Speakers will have the opportunity to discuss their ideas with attendees, encouraging the exchange of ideas and information.”
To keep up with the latest from TEDxBelmopan visit their website www.tedxbelmopan.com or connect with them on Facebook.
Deidra Deandra is proud to be a Gold Sponsor for this event.
Related Topics: Deidra Deandra at TEDxBelmopan | Tony Rath’s TEDx Talk
Scrolling my Facebook Timeline this morning I saw this photo and had to share; it’s Councillor Anna Banner Guy with Belmopan’s First and Current Queens. Clarita Ozaeta won the title of Queen of the Bay in the early 1970s and Melissa Robinson holds the title this year (2015).
We celebrated our one year anniversary early this month with a special giveaway! A big congrats to Christine Valerio for winning our Celebrate & Win Contest! She has won a Photo Shoot with Monica Gallardo Photography! Thank you for celebrating with us Christine! We also take this time to thank all those who supported us this year! We look forward to another great year of serving you!
Located in the capital city (Belmopan) Deidra Deandra – a Belize Graphic Design Company – has offered creative graphic design services to locals for the past year. We have grown in our short lifetime to reach international markets and receive business from various customers in the US.
This coming year, we are preparing to expand our services to develop a print branch. Through this new service, we hope to partner with many more organizations to help take your ideas from the initial design stage to the final tangible product. This is a big step for us and we invite you to stay connected as we grow to better serve you.
Read some of our reviews and consider us for your next project.
I always enjoy the opportunity to share about the country I call home-Belize! These 10 beautiful photos of the piece of earth I call home, highlight some of the natural produce we get from the land, the animals, and the beautiful scenery!
1. Coconut Tree – I took this photo on the beach in Dangriga, Belize. Dangriga is a Town located in the Stann Creek District, Belize. [Download this Free Belize Wallpaper]
2. Waterfall – This Waterfall is located in the Elijio Panti National Park in Belize, a beautiful destination to visit in the Cayo District. The park has several activities including swimming, waterfalls, hiking, nature trails, caves, and Mayan artifacts
3. Mennonite Produce – this photo was taken on a visit to the back-ends of the Mennonite Community, Spanish Lookout, in Belize. I can’t remember the name of the crop planted here but it goes on for miles and is a beautiful site to see. [Download this Free Belize Wallpaper]
4. Manatee – The manatee is a marine mammal that is a protected specie in Belize. This photo was taken at the Swallow Caye Wildlife Sanctuary, the best place to see manatees in Belize. Manatees have paddle-like flippers and can grow to about 13 feet long with 1300 pounds.
5. “E” – I remember taking this photo on a hike through the Elijio Panti National Park. It was quite an exciting find, a naturally formed “E” in the Belize Rainforest.
6. Sunset in the Capital City – This photo was taken in Belmopan, Belize, the Capital City of the country. It reminded me of a Lion King Movie Scene. (:
7. Pink Rose – This beautiful rose was captured right at home in my mother’s garden. She has a variety of them in different colors and I always enjoy taking photos of the newly bloomed ones. Check out some of these same roses in our Mother’s Day Cards Designs. [Download this Free Belize Wallpaper]
8. Sleeping Giant – The Sleeping Giant is a Group of Mountains in Belize located along the Hummingbird Highway. As you can see, the group of Mountains at a point on the highway, resemble a Sleeping Giant, hence the name.
9. White Horse – I took this photo at the Banana Bank Lodge in Belize which is home to over 90 horses.
10. Coconut Apple – Locally known as “Grow-ins,” the Coconut Apple is found inside dried coconuts. It is quite a sweet find. [Download this Free Belize Wallpaper]
Are you planning a trip to Central America? Then the ATM Cave Belize is your next stop! The ATM Cave Belize is a beautiful part of Belizean History that will be one of your most adventurous experiences!
Actun Tunichil Muknal (Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre) is a cave in Belize, near San Ignacio, Cayo District. I is notable as a Maya archaeological site that includes skeletons, ceramics, and stoneware. There are several areas of skeletal remains in the main chamber. The best known is “The Crystal Maiden.” This is the skeleton of a teenage girl, possibly a sacrifice victim, whose bones have been calcified to a sparkling, crystallized appearance.
Many of the Maya artifacts and remains are completely calcified to the cave floor. One artifact, named the “Monkey Pot”, is one of just four of its type found in Central America. The cave is extensively decorated with cave formations in the upper passages.
Animal life in the cave includes a large population of bats, large freshwater crabs, crayfish, catfish and other tropical fish. Agouti and otters may also use the cave. These and many other species are quite common in river caves of this size in Belize.
National Geographic names the ATM Cave Belize the #1 Sacred Cave in the world and says “After visiting the ATM Cave Belize you may feel that you have been through your own epic test. A tour to this site involves hiking, wading, and underwater swimming, but nearly a mile (1.6 kilometers) underground you will reach the resting place of the “crystal maiden,” a complete female skeleton that sparkles from eons of crystal calcification.”
Add the ATM Cave Belize to your Bucket List! It is an experience you will never forget!
Source: Wikipedia / “Actun Tunichil Muknal“. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
