Cornerstone Christian School student Gabriela Hammoud with one side of the banner of her Stutterfly pen. Photo / Judith Lacy
“Yes I stutter, I’m unique, I am me.”
This is one of the messages Gabriela Hammoud is promoting through her Young Enterprise Scheme business Stutterfly.
The 16-year-old’s product is a pen that can also be used as a stylus for touchscreen devices.
Inside is a pull-out banner. On one side is Stutterfly’s slogan of helping make a difference for those who stutter.
On the other side is an acrostic poem Gabriela wrote using the letters of her business name.
The poem is about ways to support people who stutter. Take time to listen, use eye contact, finishing sentences does not help.
Try to be patient, everyone who stutters has a voice, she says.
People who stutter can point to a message in the poem when they meet someone new or go into a shop.
Gabriela has trouble speaking when she meets new people but she is not nervous.
She stutters and wanted to develop a product to help people understand stuttering and give those who stutter a voice.
Gabriela is in Year 12 at Cornerstone Christian School in Palmerston North.
The Feilding resident wants to reach as many people as she can - in New Zealand and overseas - who stutter.
The Stuttering Treatment and Research Trust has promoted Stutterfly resulting in Gabriela receiving a bulk order from a specialist in London.
The New Zealand trust provides specialist therapy and support for people who stutter and their families. One dollar from each order will go to Start.
About 45,000 New Zealanders stutter - 1 per cent of the population.
Gabriela chose teal as Stutterfly’s colour as it is the colour for stutter awareness. She worked with a graphic designer friend on the design.
She put much thought into packaging, choosing a white paper bag sealed with a Stutterfly sticker. This looks professional and cool, keeps packaging costs down and the bag can be easily recycled, she says.
In March, Gabriela developed her product and in May took pre-orders. She has already sold about 700 pens.
Cornerstone business studies teacher Dillan Korkie says Young Enterprise Scheme businesses have to be sustainable and look after the environment. They try to use as little plastic as possible.
When the black or blue ink in a Stutterfly pen has finished you can keep using the stylus.
Gabriela has kept her supplier local choosing Palmerston North business Acute Promo.
To order a stylus banner pen find Stutterfly on Facebook and Instagram or email stutterfly.nz@gmail.com.
The cost is $5 for one, $13.50 for three or $20 for five.
Police said those involved were known to each other.