Women’s Centre gets new Home Economics Facility

The Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF), on Trafalgar Road, in Kingston, today (April 28), officially opened its brand new Home Economics Management Facility, fully equipped with top of the line equipment and furniture.
The facility was built by the Jamaica Volunteers Association and equipped by the Digicel Foundation.
Former Chairperson of the School Board of the Women’s Centre, Miss Princess Lawes, expressed gratitude to both organisations for their well-needed assistance.
“The Women’s Centre Foundation of Jamaica, ever since its inception, has been blessed with good will from numerous companies, individuals, agencies and service clubs from all over Jamaica. We are always ever so grateful to those persons, to those companies, that always stand by us and whenever we’re in need, go the extra mile to make provisions and to assist us,” she said.
Miss Lawes said that it was only just a few months ago that the building was completed through help from the Jamaica Volunteers Association; however it remained empty as the school lacked the resources to fully furnish the facility.
However, after contacting the Digicel Foundation, the building, which houses a kitchen and dining room, has been fully outfitted with some 16 tables, 100 chairs, a refrigerator, a flat screen plasma television, numerous kitchen utensils, tools and equipment.
The facility will be used by the students in preparation for their Home Management examinations in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC).
Miss Lawes implored the girls to take care of the facility. “Those of you who will use the equipment, who will use the furniture, use them well, remember that they were donated by persons who didn’t have to do it, but who have your interest at heart,” she said.
Executive Director of the Digicel Foundation, Major Robert Neish, said the organisation was very pleased to assist the WCJF, as it is serving a very vital role in society.
“The Women’s Centre is an organisation that is filling a very important need in Jamaica. It’s giving young teenage girls a second chance; it is making sure that once (they) benefit from this programme (they) will not make the same mistake again,” he said.
“As you attend this institution, you will make sure that you develop yourself, you recognise your own self importance and will take advantage of every opportunity to develop your capabilities, your competencies, your skills and your own personality,” Major Neish told the young women.
The WCFJ, an agency of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, focuses on using education, training and developmental counselling to improve the employment and productivity opportunities of teenage mothers.
The programme started in January 1978 with one centre, and has since been expanded to seven main centres and eight outreach stations islandwide.
To date, over 37,000 teen mothers have been assisted, with many graduates moving on to attend tertiary institutions or landing jobs in the public and private sectors.