The Tribune

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

Jgibson@tribunemedia.net

THE new year is already promising to be an exciting one for Samita Ferguson, who is expecting to launch a new television show in a few short weeks.

Ms Ferguson, founder of the non-profit organisation for young women called CHAMPS (Chosen, Honoured, Appointed, Motivative, Positive Sisters), is seeking to inspire people through her FACES show that will be launched on February 6 at the Doongalik Studios Art Gallery.

This new endeavour is just one of many that Ms Ferguson will use to help make an impact on Bahamians near and far.

FACES is a 30-minute pre-recorded show that aims to educate, inspire, empower and bring hope to individuals in communities around the Bahamas, according to its creator.

The goal is to allow television audiences insight into how the show’s guests were able to accomplish their dreams or how they overcame challenging obstacles.

FACES, with its tagline “Meeting people right where they are”, will interview individuals that are viewed by society as everything from ordinary to extraordinary. The taping of season one, which features persons like former Governor General Sir Arthur Foulkes, Sir Durward Knowles, Pamela Burnside and Jason Knowles (father of Zion Knowles, a seven-year-old diagnosed with leukaemia) has been completed, Ms Ferguson said.

“In my everyday walk of life I come across individuals who one would class as ordinary with remarkable stories that are worthy to be heard by the world; stories of failures, but overcoming, which led to stories of triumphant,” she said.

“Then there were some who pursued passion and goals and today they are now seeing the fruits of their labour. Then there were faces of the extraordinary, whether a sports personality, a politician or leader, faces who we see via television or read about in the papers; behind their success there is a story of their beginning. This was the driving point of FACES, we as a people need to hear those stories. The vision coming to reality was (accomplished) when I organised the itinerary for the Ladies of Lee from Lee University. One of our stops was at Government House to pay a courtesy call to the then Governor General (Sir Arthur Foulkes). Upon hearing him converse, I realised his wealth of knowledge is in touch with the world and yet still has a personable touch. Like a flash it hit me, ‘This is who you will initially interview’. The vision then a became reality,” she said.

Ms Ferguson, who has been on a mission over the past few years to inspire people, believes the show will impact audiences in a new way.

“I hope the show will impact the viewers, because they may have experienced circumstances in their life which could either break or make them, and hearing stories of accomplishments and hope will indeed bring a breath of fresh air to the mundane bits of negativity which often saturate our environment. Moments of hope and faith are always empowering and life-changing,” she said.

“FACES wants people to put more than just a name to the face they see; it wants to know the drive and passions that are packaged within that individual – what they may have experienced in life and how the life experience has made them who they are today. This will be quite beneficial to the road the viewer may have to undertake one day.”

Ms Ferguson said the ultimate of goal of FACES is “to touch the heart of the community and foster change in terms of peoples’ perception; to stir up not just hope, but faith.”