Empress Circle is a 9-week sister to sister mentorship program for young women, who are on the verge of adolescence and to those entering adulthood. Set in the heart of the inner-city, this unit will create a safe space for the liberation of the mind, body, soul and creative spirit.
Location: Life Yard, Fleet Street in Downtown Kingston
Participants: Young Women 10-18 years
Sessions: Saturdays, 12pm-4pm
The objective of the programme is to empower the sense of identity of these young women through impactful confidence and character building workshops, healing sessions, skills sharing, exchange of information and peer counselling. At the end of the programme, participants will be armed with basic tools, resources and best practices to tackle life as a young woman.
The Empress Circle Team consist of: Nikaila Williams, Tiffany Lamour, Rushelle Townsend, Abigail Ramsay, Monifah Mckenzie, Novia Prince, Lila Ike, Romaine Allen
The invited mentors were: Asia Clarke, Joan Webley, Sherece Cowan, Lila Ike, Donisha Prendergast, Kamila McDonald, Jah9, Ragga
Activities:
MIND Confidence Building workshops, Presentations
BODY Natural Skin Care, Natural Hair Care, Fitness, Self Defence, Permaculture
SOUL Journalling, Peer Counselling, Yoga and Meditation
CREATIVE SPIRIT Dance/ Movement, Photo classes, Art, Shea Butter Making
Following you’ll find lot’s of wonderful photos of some of the sessions held this summer (photos by Nikkii Kane)
Saturday, June 8th 2019 Introduction to Farming; benefits, careers, implementation & Smoothie-Making Workshops – the girls were introduced to the methods of making healthy fruit smoothies.
Saturday, June 15th 2019 Introduction to Craft Making – the girls were given a workshop in jewelry making.
Feedback – Q&A segment- mentors engaged the girls on what was learned in the workshop and how to use the skills taught in everyday life. Meditation Techniques.
Saturday, June 22nd 2019 Economic Empowerment through the Arts. Presentation made by: Author and Artist
Presentation by Motivational Speaker – this presentation provided motivation and encouragement for the girls to tap into their potential to fulfill their goals.
Saturday, June 29th 2019 Field Trip to local historic buildings in Kingston. E.g National Heroes Park, National Stadium, Bob Marley Statue, Hope Gardens – this is the largest green space in Kingston, where we hosted our yoga session. Topic of the day: The importance of a healthy lifestyle, Making Better Lifestyle choices, Interactive discussions & activities.
Saturday, July 6th 2019 Introduction to Social Issues; domestic violence, rape, molestation, speakers from the ‘Eve for Life’ organization provided a presentation and interactive discussion. The girls shared experiences of sexual issues that arise from living in the community e.g unwanted sexual attention, inappropriate language etc.. Self Defense Lessons, the girls were exposed to basic self defense tactics.
Saturday, July 13th 2019 Topic of the day: Character Building & Self Development. Mentors provided individual presentations on topics such as self esteem, self confidence, self love, communication skills, social interactions. The girls were given a rose water making workshop.
