Support for the Social Development Commission Young Women Empowerment Initiative “If you educate a woman, you educate a nation”, is the well-known African proverb which underpins this programme that was undertaken in the St. James community of Flanker.

The two-month long initiative which began in July, targeted approximately fifty young women aged 17-35 years and involved training and capacity building, counselling, sporting engagement, economic opportunities and welfare support. At the end of the intervention, the participants were better able to take advantage of various social programmes and to strategically position themselves to access educational and job opportunities to better support their families.

The main focus of The Spanish-Jamaican Foundation’s participation was to expose these young women to the various opportunities, both educational and professional, which are available with Spanish language acquisition including increased employment prospects, ability to earn additional income as well as access to scholarships in Spanish speaking countries. The SJF also provided the young women with feminine hygiene products and other tokens.