Charity Ball to Assist Adolescent Mothers

Plans are progressing for a Charity Ball to raise funds to assist adolescent mothers to be reintegrated into the school system.

The event, scheduled to take place on May 18 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston, is being organised by the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF), an agency of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport.

Executive Director of the WCJF, Novelette Howell, told JIS News that the venture is intended to raise funds to support adolescent mothers pursuing tertiary and vocational training through the Foundation’s Advancing Secondary, Tertiary Remedial Education for Adolescent Mothers (A-STREAM) programme.

The initiative, which was launched in March 2018, has three main components – mentorship, sponsorship and scholarship.

It aims to empower young mothers to complete their education, acquire valuable skills and build self-sustaining futures.

Ms. Howell said tickets for the Ball should be available by the end of February and persons will be able to purchase them online and at various locations.

“We are hoping that we will have about 200 to 300 persons in attendance,” she said, adding that each ticket will cost $30,000.

Ms. Howell pointed out that the Foundation will also be seeking sponsorship from corporate Jamaica, individuals and organisations.

Additionally, she said persons can contribute via the Foundation’s website.

The Executive Director said that over the years, individuals and organisations have supported the work of the WCJF.

Recently, the Diplomatic Corps presented a cheque valued US$2,000 (J$310,000) to the Foundation to support the A-STREAM programme.

The cheque was presented by President of the Diplomatic Corps, Ambassador Dr. Lansford Douglas, to Chair, WCJF Board of Directors, Debby-Ann Brown Salmon, during a recent ceremony held at the Foundation’s headquarters in Kingston.

The WCJF was established in 1978 in response to a high level of teenage pregnancies at the time.

Under the programme, girls who have dropped out of school due to pregnancy are allowed to continue their education at Women’s Centres closest to them for at least one term and are returned to the formal school system after the birth of their babies.