Kira McCallum-Schmidt (left) and Rhian Turner-Jones are too young to be members of the Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI), but they did that did not stop them “representing Jamaica” at the philanthropic organization’s BFF Summer Fashion Brunch at the Jamaica Pegasus.

Kira and Rhian, in sportswear outfits from Ammar’s Village & Mall joined WLI members at the event which brought together “Best Friends and Families” of the WLI, a special committee of the United Way of Jamaica founded in 2004 by then US Ambassador to Jamaica, Sue Cobb.

The WLI, through fund-raising works to improve the life chances of women and girls in Jamaica.  Their projects span the education and health sectors in particular including the development of a computer lab and funding of a special needs teacher at the Voluntary Organization for the Upliftment of Children (VOUCH).

The WLI also has a robust programme aimed at preventing/ending child sexual abuse through a series of workshops for caregivers in children’s homes, parents, guardians and teachers, which educate them on the detection, prevention and treatment of child sexual abuse.