Stella Maris Twins Make Figurines
Stella Maris School is the primary learning institution for special needs children in Belize. It has been in existence since 1958. Geared towards providing diversely-abled children with foundational education to serve them as adults, the institution has seen thousands of students acquire the fundamentals of academics. But, in 2021, the institution took a shift that would see students take on the development of skill sets that could serve them beyond the walls of a classroom. Students will be able to leave as young entrepreneurs. Sabreena Daly met a set of twins, Suhrri and Zackarri, who are preparing to do just that with impressive art works known as figurines.
Sabreena Daly, Reporting
Suhrii & Zackarri Franzua
I can’t tell you what had me more amazed, watching seventeen year old twins Suhrii and Zackarri create figurines out of sticky mold, or listening to their lively conversations.
Zackarri Franzua, Artist
“As a little kid, I started drawing on the wall. After some time, I started drawing more perfectly. Some of my friends started calling me an artist. That made me inspired.”
Sabreena
“So, you said that you started drawing as a little boy. Then, your friends would see you drawing and start calling you an artist. That inspired you to continue. Is that the same for you?”
Suhrri Franzua, Artist
“Yes, I used to watch my brother draw and I would be inspired as well to copy him.”
Alexander Viveiros
Alexander Viveiros, Art teacher
“They move together. When you see one, you see the other. Sometimes, I don’t know who is who because they are identical twins. But when you see them, they go for break together, lunch together, home together. When you see them they are always together. Even in class, they sit together.”
Suhrri Franzua
“We’re going to do YouTube first right?”
Zackarri Franzua
“Well, we have to learn animation and video games, and then we can do YouTube.”
Suhrri Franzua
“Okay, so I think we’ll try to do a video game and animation first and then we’re going to go to YouTube, right?”
The twins are enrolled at Stella Maris School for special needs children. They were diagnosed with a learning disability. But they are not bound by the things that they are unable to do, instead, they embrace the things they can. These young men are artists. They draw anime, caricatures and even create figurines that they sell. But honing their skills came at an ideal time when the institution began embracing arts and craft, as well as home economics. Francelia Cantun, the principal at Stella Maris, explained the change.
Francelia Cantun
Francelia Cantun, Principal
“We did a survey and we found out what the children were interested in and based on their interest, we created skills around that area. We found out that a lot of children love to bake, love to sew, to do wood work, to do hair so we have a spa where the children go in to learn to do manicure and pedicure, like a beauty salon. In the arts, we have the twins that are very artistic and we have other children with that talent. So we focus on the skills that will help them to be independent and entrepreneurs in the future.”
Allen Audinett
Allen Audinett, Homeroom teacher
“We teach them the basic stuff, like money, how to add or subtract if you go to a store. If you gave them five dollars to buy something that cost three dollars, what’s your change you should get back? Also, since they’re preparing to be entrepreneurs, what cost should they sell their product at? We don’t want people to take advantage of them, so, they learn to price their items reasonably to buy back and earn a profit.”
Alexander Viveiros is their art teacher. He described the importance of shaping the curriculum to serve the students in skill-based development.
Alexander Viveiros
“What we do in our skills program is teaching our students or ensure that they are able to grasp a skill. So, when they leave Stella Marris, they are able to function and be independent. Like our twins, we want them to be entrepreneurs to provide for themselves and to be independent so they don’t rely on their parents or family members.”
Zackarri Franzua, Artist
“Arts, I like to go there too. Sometimes, that’s how we learn new stuff because the first time, I didn’t like to color. But now that I go to art class, I’m thinking about coloring the background and characters. That’s why I like to go to art class a lot.”
The process of making the figurines requires creativity and vision, as well as shaping and sculpting mold. The most difficult part, according to the boys, is the waiting period.
Sabreena
“Do you usually have an idea in mind of what you want to create or do you just put thiongs together and something forms?”
Zackarri
“I think we just put things together. That’s the easy way to do it. If we think about making, it will just take forever.”
Sabreena
“Oh, wow. How do you make this into a figurine?”
Suhrri
“Well, the truth is, you have to wait for it to dry out. It will harden. You can’t show it right now or it will ruin the figures.”
Sabreena
“So how long does it take to make it?”
Zackarri
“Not that long. If we make a bigger one, though, it takes days.”
So, for the twins at Stella Maris, and other young students embracing skill-based learning, the goal is to leave as young entrepreneurs. And although we have a good idea what Suhrri and Zackarri will be doing, they said, not so fast; there’s more.
Suhrri
“We’re going to do YouTube first right?”
Zackarri
“Well, we have to learn animation and video games, and then we can do YouTube.”
Suhrri
“Okay, so I think we’ll try to do a video game and animation first and then we’re going to go to YouTube, right?”
Looking on the Bright Side, I’m Sabreena Daly.
If you would like to purchase or order art pieces from Suhrri and Zacharri, you can contact their mother at phone number 650-2400.
