23 Feb YB Spotlight Christine Roberts
Building Inclusion, Dignity, and Opportunity Through Care
As Youth Business Trinidad & Tobago celebrates 25 years of supporting entrepreneurship, the 25 for 25 campaign highlights individuals whose work reflects resilience, impact, and the power of building with purpose.
For Christine Roberts, entrepreneurship is not just business. It is a calling.
As the founder of Chrisy’s Care, Chrisy’s Touch, and the non-profit Gracious Hands Inc., Christine has dedicated her life to creating safe, inclusive spaces for children and individuals with special needs in Barbados and beyond.
A Purpose Rooted in Experience
Christine describes herself as simple, adventurous, curious, and deeply committed to service. From a young age, she had a love for children and caregiving. But her vision sharpened when she witnessed something that stayed with her for life.
Growing up, she had a relative with a child who never attended school due to an undiagnosed condition. That child lived for forty years without experiencing life beyond home. No school, no social activities, no community integration.
“I want persons to be a part of the world and not just exist in it,” Christine explains.
That belief became the foundation of Chrisy’s Care.
Building Chrisy’s Care
Founded in 2012 in Kingsland Gardens, Christ Church, Barbados, Chrisy’s Care was created to provide compassionate, personalized support to individuals and families, particularly within the special needs community. Over the years, the organization has grown into a holistic care service offering educational support, therapeutic services, caregiver assistance, and inclusive community programming designed to promote development, independence, and dignity. The business expanded later to Chancery Lane
At its core, Chrisy’s Care is not simply about supervision or service delivery. It is about creating safe spaces where individuals can learn, grow, and fully participate in life. Through her work, Christine addresses critical gaps across the region, from limited facilities and trained professionals to the lack of meaningful inclusion for special needs families. Her goal is clear: to build a model of care that serves as a beacon of hope and a catalyst for inclusive change across the Caribbean.
Challenges That Strengthened Her
Entrepreneurship has not been easy.
Christine speaks candidly about the emotional toll of building something that feels deeply personal. “Mess with my business is like amputating a part of who Christine is,” she shares.
She has faced skepticism, including being underestimated because of her youthful appearance. She responded not with retreat, but growth. She joined Toastmasters to strengthen her public speaking skills and invested in continuous education to deepen her expertise.
In Barbados, she has navigated red tape, outdated regulations, funding challenges, and resistance to change, particularly within the education system. Advocacy for inclusion often requires more than passion. It requires persistence.
Yet even on the hardest days, she finds herself compelled to give another 110%.
A Moment That Changed Everything
One of the most powerful moments in Christine’s journey came through a non-verbal student who joined Chrisy’s Care with little hope of speech development.
With limited resources, Christine created learning aids by hand and worked tirelessly to support him. He progressed from a liquid diet to eating independently. He communicated first through a stylus and flashcards, then through nods, and eventually through spoken words.
“Now I have to beg him to give me a moment of silence,” she says with pride.
For many parents, constant chatter may feel overwhelming. For others, a single word can be life-changing. Hearing that first sound made every sacrifice worthwhile.
Community at the Prime Minister’s Residence
Christine’s proudest moment so far was hosting a completely free Fun Day for the special needs community at the Prime Minister’s Residence in Barbados.
With support from businesses and volunteers, she created an inclusive space with face painting, jumping tents, live entertainment, and activities designed specifically for individuals who are often overlooked.
Over 300 participants attended.
“The hardest part was keeping it free,” she reflects. But ensuring accessibility mattered more than anything else.
That day, participants were able to be themselves without judgment. For many families, it was a rare moment of belonging.
The Role of JumpSTART
Christine credits the YBTT JumpSTART Incubator with helping her transform her vision into structure.
The programme provided the framework to move from idea to execution. She developed a business model canvas, strengthened her business plan, improved her networking skills, and refined her elevator pitch.
Beyond the technical tools, she built a network of peers and mentors who continue to support and challenge her.
“Sometimes it is just good to have someone to vent to who understands the struggle,” she says. “And sometimes it is good to have someone tell you when to stop.”
Looking Ahead
In the next three to five years, Christine envisions Chrisy’s Care expanding to St. Vincent and Trinidad and Tobago. She already volunteers and collaborates with institutions such as Happy Haven in Tobago and the Princess Elizabeth School in Trinidad.
Long-term, she plans to open a live-in facility for individuals with special needs.
Her work is not about comfort. It is about legacy.
What Keeps Her Going
Christine believes she is among the few privileged people who can say they have found their purpose and are living it fully.
“What I do does not feel like work,” she shares. “It feels like a surreal experience to provide the overlooked and rejected with small moments of genuine happiness.”
Helping a child experience a swing for the first time. Watching someone participate in community activities. Seeing joy where exclusion once existed.
Those are the moments that fuel her.
Advice to Young Women in Business
Her advice is direct and honest.
“Go for it. Nothing in life comes easy and neither will entrepreneurship. If you are going to fight for something, why not fight for your dream?”
She encourages resilience, reflection, and courage in the face of rejection. Tears may come. Delays may happen. But perseverance builds impact.
Christine Roberts’ journey reflects the heart of YBTT’s 25 for 25 campaign. It is a story of advocacy, courage, and building spaces where dignity and opportunity are not privileges, but rights.
Through service, community, and unwavering purpose, she reminds us that inclusion is not optional.
Together, we build.
