On Saturday May 26th, 2018, girls between the ages of 12 and 16 gathered at the conference room at the Anguilla Football Association for the first two hour session for the Empower Her for Girls workshop. The second session was held on June 2nd, 2018. This workshop was organised and facilitated by Mrs. Shellecia Brooks-Johnson who is a blogger, writer, trainer and speaker with a passion for the empowerment of girls and women. The event was part of “Empower May”, a series of empowering activities and events held during the month we celebrate Anguilla and its development.
The seminar was done in partnership with the Gender Affairs Unit of Anguilla and the Department of Youth and Culture who both made it possible for a number of girls to attend by providing sponsorship. A thank you is extended to the guidance counsellors and teachers at the ALHCS who recommended some of the girls. The initiative also caught the attention of others in the community who also volunteered to sponsor a girl to attend. These included Hi-Tek Signs and Designs, Confetti Dust Studio/Signature Tots Boutique and Caila Richardson.
The workshops were very conversational in nature and provided a safe space for the girls to openly share their views on a variety of topics. Topics covered included self-care, fearless and fabulous, living with a purpose, finding your tribe, time management, stress management and responsible social media use.
The workshop was both motivational and practical, helping to equip girls with some of the life skills they will need to be stronger and more confident.
The attendees expressed that they wished the sessions were every Saturday and that they gained valuable information. The girls left feeling ready to make positive changes in their lives.
Parents were also happy with the outcome of the workshops stating that it was “impactful’ and that “they were looking forward to more sessions.”
For parents who are interested in empowerment sessions for their girls, a number of sessions will be offered in July for girls between the ages of 9 and 16. These include
Empower Her For Girls (9-11)
Empower Her For Girls (12-15) – Part 2
To register for any of the above workshops or to find out more information, please contact Shellecia at shellecia.brooks@gmail.com.
