COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES
- Dr. Josie Payoute is setting herself to make waves
- By Léo Joseph
In her introduction regarding her undertakings, here is what Dr. Josie Payoute says about herself : ‟mompreneur, motivational speaker, curator, philanthropist and the founder and current President of New Jersey Kids Fashion Week (NJKFW), a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization.¨ Dr. Payoute’s schedule keeps her so busy that one wonders how much time she has left to attend to her regular job as a Human Resource person.
Through her organization along with her dedicated board of trustees, she sets her goal : afford children from urban communities an opportunity to learn fashion etiquette while having the freedom to express their individual creativity. The latest event organized by Dr. Payoute and her team took place on Sunday, December 8, in East Orange, New Jersey, was an annual Toy Drive, which attracted numerous children from the community and was attended by several elected officials. This yearly event stands to gather many more among the youth. Those who attended this year’s festival are already looking forward to next year’s event because, other than enjoying themselves, they make new friends in the process.
Prior to the toy drive, there was the Thanksgiving dinner in November and a fashion show in September. That show, on September 21 in Newark, lived up to its title: “Fashion in Wonder- land.”
Looking at the dates at which these three events took place, it’s obvious that she organized them only weeks apart. One can imagine the effort that went into the scheduling process. That means a lot for a person who holds a full time job. Needless to say, much commitment goes into this endeavor.
Josie Payoute, who holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy, and her collaborators have made NJKFW a very busy organization, which organizes different kinds of events throughout the year for the community. “It’s an opportunity to give back,” she says.
Of the activities she promotes in the community, Dr. Payoute says she hopes that ‟fashion will ingrain confidence and poise among our fashionistas.¨ In addition, she believes that NJKFW ‟will promote self-awareness, teach the value of inner and outer beauty, as well as presence and professionalism.” And she adds: ‟It’s imperative that our youth are aware that confidence is within their mind and heart.¨
Josie Payoute is one of the most dynamic professionals in the Haitian community of New Jersey, if not in the U.S. Not only she creates her own activities to the benefit her community, she spares no effort in contributing to events organized by others. For example, on November 15, last year, she participated in the celebration of the Haitian Cultural Day, which was held at City Hall in Jersey City. She did a wonderful job as Mistress of Ceremony, having shown her rich knowledge of Haitian history.
Without a doubt, Dr. Payoute is a shining star in the Haitian Diaspora. With her knowledge, savoir-faire, intelligence, ambition, creativity, and determination, she is on her way to accomplish great things.
cet article est publié par l’hebdomadaire Haïti-Observateur, VOL.1 No 1 New York, édition du 8 janvier 2020, et se trouve en P. 1, 3 à : http://haiti-observateur.info/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/H-O-8-January-2020.pdf
