- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 17/Aug 03:05

Jayda Ramjattan has a heart of gold

AT 15, Jayda Ramjattan is a seasoned performer with a heart of gold. The Parvati Girls’ Hindu College student is an actor, poet, pageant contestant and Unicef Child Rights ambassador. Ramjattan was crowned Miss India Teen 2025 in May and will represent TT at the international pageant in Mumbai, India, on August 29. Newsday spoke to Ramjattan by phone on August 14. The teen, who lives in Cedar Hill, Princes Town, has been going to training in Maraval with pageant coach Richard Young. Young is a make-up artist, stylist, art director, fashion columnist, pageant director and model/beauty queen coach. Young’s training, she said, is inspiring. “He has made me more well-rounded and prepared for the pageant.” Ramjattan’s mother Sharmela Rampaul is an attorney. “Mum is my rock star.” She said her support is unwavering. Rampaul she said is her cheerleader, driver and even joins her in her pursuits like Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training. She has five older brothers, ranging in age from 33-26. One is a dentist, one a doctor and the others work in construction. [caption id="attachment_1172594" align="alignnone" width="576"] Actress, poet, pageant contestant and Unicef Child Rights ambassador Jayda Ramjattan. -[/caption] Ramjattan will start form four next month to study sciences, though at the end of Form Three she topped the year in the arts at school. She hopes to become a biomedical engineer, and explained that create prosthetics and synthetic organs. Meanwhile, Ramjattan has been making her mark in creative circles. She has graced beauty pageants, stage performances and literary and storytelling competitions – she was a finalist in the Best Village Storytelling competition in May. One of the competition’s organisers said, “Jayda has a gift for bringing stories to life. She doesn’t just recite; she embodies the character, making the audience feel every emotion.” She has also participated in several Iere Theatre productions, including playing a villager in A Brighter Sun and Vashti in A Window to the Past. Ramjattan said she was studying Samuel Selvon’s novel A Brighter Sun in form one when she was chosen for the cast. She also devoted a lot of time and energy to understudy the role of the protagonist Tiger’s wife Urmilla, but did not perform. In November 2023, her team won the World Poetry Day Competition, hosted by NALIS (National Library and Information System Authority). Their winning portrayal of David Rudder’s The Hammer an official said was “a poignant reflection on identity and heritage, (which) resonated with judges for its lyrical beauty and profound message.” Speaking about her varied interests, Ramjattan said: “For me, each art form is a different way to express myself and connect with my community. Whether it’s through acting, storytelling, or poetry, I’m just trying to tell stories that matter.” In February 2024, Ramjattan became a Unicef Child Rights ambassador a position she will hold until she turns 18. She was officially enrolled into the programme by the then-ministry of gender and child affairs after a selection and training process.after a Ramjatan takes this responsibility very seriously. She visits schools to speak to students about their right and responsibilities. “This will help to encourage youths to make TT a better place,” she said. She has created six lending libraries in villages on the outskirts of Princes Town. The libraries vary in size, from a box built to look like a library to book shelves located in spaces at businesses. Their “Take a Book, Leave a Book,” model, she says, has been working well. She also accepts donations to the libraries. Ramjattan said she wants to thank pageant director Neha Karina and her sponsors Surialke Marketing and Industrial Services Ltd, Advanced Dermatology and Skin Care Centre, Trinidad Building and Loan Association, Touchofbeauty by Kimberly and the TT Eye Hospital. She leaves TT on August 20 for India. “We are as prepared as we can be. We’ll keep working hard to the end, giving it a final push.”   The post Jayda Ramjattan has a heart of gold appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.