Fantasia visits Women’s Centre

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport (CGES), Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, on Friday took United States’ recording artiste Fantasia on a tour of the Women’s Centre in Kingston.

The visit was made ahead of Fantasia’s performance Friday night at the annual ‘Blues on the Green’  Charity Concert at Emancipation Park.

During their tour of the facility, the minister used the opportunity to offer words of encouragement to teen moms.

“Treat your experience as a learning one, hold your head high and strive to mature into your best selves. Use Fantasia as an inspiration,” Grange suggested.


She told the girls that their children may “grow to become the next prime minister or one of the greatest personalities in Jamaica”.

Fantasia used the opportunity to share her experience of being a teen mom with the girls and offered them advice as they go through this phase of their life.

The ministry arranged transportation for the girls to attend the concert last night.

“Blues on the Green” is a free concert celebrating African-American History Month and the contributions of African-Americans to American society. It is now in its 24th year and is hosted by the United States Embassy in Kingston annually. This year’s concert was originally scheduled for February 26 but was postponed due to the holding of the general election on the previous day.

Patrons were being asked to donate formula, diapers and educational items to the Women’s Resource and Outreach Centres, which are operated by the The Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF).

The WCJF is a limited liability company under the auspices of the Office of the Prime Minister in Jamaica. One of its priorities — the programme for Adolescent Mothers — is aimed at assisting pregnant girls, 17 and under, to continue their secondary education.

Under the programme, girls who drop out of school due to pregnancy are able to continue their education at the Women’s Centres nearest to them for at least one term, and are subsequently returned to the formal school system after the birth of their child.