Festival Queen Initiates Project to Empower Young Girls in St. Catherine

Miss St. Catherine Festival Queen 2025, Afiya Birch-Gentles, is set to launch a new youth empowerment initiative aimed at building self-confidence, character, and cultural pride among young girls.

Dubbed ‘Beauty Beyond Brushes: Building Confidence and Character’, the project encourages girls to embrace their natural beauty, develop self-confidence and cultivate leadership skills.

Speaking with JIS News about the initiative, Ms. Birch-Gentles explained that “being beautiful starts with you in your most natural and unapologetic state”.

“I want to create a safe and inspiring space for young girls in St. Catherine to embrace their identity, develop the self-confidence and resilience that’s needed for both personal and professional growth,” she added.

The project will feature mentorship sessions, creative showcases, and tours across high schools in the parish.

The Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) will also be a part of the programme.

Highlighting the main objective of the initiative, Ms. Birch-Gentles, who is pursuing studies in tourism and culture, noted that it aims to challenge conventional ideas of beauty often shaped by social media and to build confident and holistic young women.

“I want them to understand that…you are strong, powerful women, confident… you have the ability to do great things; you’re beautiful just the way you are,” she told JIS News.

“Make-up doesn’t define you. It’s just an enhancer for your beauty… you’re confident, you’re beautiful, you can take up space, and nothing can stop you,” she added.

In addition to fostering personal development, the project seeks to instil cultural pride as one of the key foundations of a strong and confident Jamaican woman.

The launch of Beauty Beyond Brushes is scheduled for Friday (January 30).