There has been a notable increase in the number of young mothers applying for the second cohort of Project Amai.
During a media launch recently in Christie’s Conference Room at the Barbados Light & Power Company Limited, it was revealed that 51 young mothers applied to participate in the eight-month training and development programme. However, due to scheduling and availability, 25 participants will take part in this year’s cohort.
This marks a significant rise from last year, when only 15 young women applied and 12 completed the programme.
Immediate past president of the Rotary Club of Barbados, Arlene Ross, said that participants in the current cohort ranged in age from 15 to 17 years old. She said the programme was supported by a network of partners, including Ross University, the One Family Programme, the Breastfeeding Association and the Family Planning Association, all of which assist in addressing the mothers’ diverse needs – from child care to education and health.
“We talk to them and it’s a safe space. They trust us and they will tell us what they need,” Ross said.
“We know each of them and their situation and none of them has an easy one. If you are 15 years old and have a child, there isn’t much you can do to change your situation without help and support.”
Ross conceptualised Project Amai after noticing the growing number of teenage mothers involved in another Rotary initiative, the Youth Elevation Scheme, run in partnership with the Juvenile Liaison Scheme of the Barbados Police Service. Many of the girls became pregnant while still in school and struggled to continue their education, she said.
The programme provides mentorship in personal development, parenting, health and wellness, job readiness, financial literacy and vocational training, which are all geared towards helping participants become more self-sufficient. Through partnerships, young mothers are taught employable skills and given opportunities to complete their CXC qualifications.
Project Amai also extends practical support through donations, including starter kits for new participants and equipment for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
“The equipment we’re providing includes industrial-grade breast pumps so mothers can feed their babies and a warmer used to treat infants born with jaundice,” Ross said. “If untreated, that can lead to serious complications such as brain damage or spinal injury.”
Project lead of Project Amai, Denise Antrobus, said when it was first launched, it wasn’t just about classes or workshops, it was about transformation and creating a safe and welcoming space for young mothers.
“It was to build confidence, resilience and skills that would help empower them in their everyday lives, the lives of their children and their communities,” she explained.
Antrobus said the programme embraced two of Rotary’s key areas of focus – maternal and child health in addition to community and economic development – while also supporting the organisation’s commitment to service and empowerment.
It will run every Friday for the next eight months, with the first month dedicated to getting the mothers acquainted with each other and establishing trust. The six pillars are personal development, parenting, health and wellness, job readiness, financial literacy and vocational training.
Other features include an on-site nursery staffed by qualified child care providers and Rotarians, while allowing mothers to be close to their children. There is also the Amai Kitchen, where healthy and nutritious meals are served to participants daily, and the Amai Closet, stocked with clothes, shoes and accessories for participants going on job interviews.
Antrobus said Project Amai would provide each participant with a vocational training course of their choice, facilitated by the Barbados Vocational Board, in areas such braiding and weaving, event planning, bar and restaurant service, massage therapy, nail technology, make-up, cake and pastry-making, international cuisine, soap-making and lotion-making.
She spoke of the difference she saw in the young women who were a part of the inaugural programme.
“In the first cohort, we saw these young ladies who may have doubted their worth stand tall and speak their truths with courage. We saw young women form bonds of sisterhood and support, looking out for each other and even for each other’s children.
“We, the facilitators and mentors, have also developed bonds with the young ladies to the point where if something is bothering them or they’re having a problem, they know that even now they can reach out to us and we will do what we can to help them,” she said.
Antrobus said she hoped that through the programme participants would learn how to parent with patience, care for their bodies and minds, and dream to reach their full potential.
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