A grandmother, her one-month-old grandson and 14-year-old daughter were among 100 individuals who on Monday rubbed shoulders with reigning Miss World Toni-Ann Singh during her visit to the Women’s Centre Foundation of Jamaica’s Corporate Area offices.

For the newly minted grandmother, Singh’s visit was added encouragement for her to stand by her daughter and ensure that she completes her high school education with the help of the foundation, where she is enrolled to begin as a student in January.

“They called and told us Miss World would be here and that’s how we ended up here today. I don’t really care what anyone thinks or who wants to say what — she is my child and I am supporting her,” the soft-spoken woman told the Jamaica Observer on Monday.

The woman, who initially shied away from speaking with the newspaper, stating that she would prefer to seek her daughter’s permission, said she was “devastated” when she learned that her only child was pregnant, as she had given birth to her when she was 32 years of age.

“At first it was shocking, very shocking. I cried and I cried, but I didn’t let her see my tears. I was very devastated. She was living with my parents, they didn’t take it easy and I still don’t think they do. I took her, in Kingston, to live with me. When she reached to my home, all tears dried up. I accept it gracefully, I stand by her and support her; I go with her to her counselling sessions — that was a journey for me,” she said.

The self-styled “boasty grandma” is already looking forward to her child regaining the ground she lost academically during pregnancy.

“She will be going to school and I will be there with her. My grandson is doing great; we are taking it one step at a time. She will be coming to school here for January. I am just preparing her for it,” she told the Observer with soft determination.

She is adamant that her daughter’s dreams, after an admittedly “rough delivery”, will not be sacrificed.

“She didn’t take it easy at first, but I said to her, ‘Don’t hold your head down, hold your head up because I am here with you’. She says she wants to be a bank teller, she wants to do business but if she don’t get through with that she wants to become a teacher, so I am just helping her to pursue her dreams,” she said.

She also had words of encouragement for other parents who might be in a similar situation.

“Don’t give up. It’s a journey that will throw you off at first, but if you focus on what persons are saying, that will be the downfall,” she said.

While noting that her grandson’s father is not an active participant in his life, she said she bears no grudges.

“They are two young persons. He is not around but this is not about the father, this is about me and her. In future, if he wants to, then he can, but for now it’s about me and her. I am happy for her; we go through this and we are taking it one day at a time, I can’t ask for more. God is in the midst of all of this so who am I to say? Boasty grandma, I am,” she said, with a contented smile.

Twenty-two-year old Yasheka Brooks, a fourth-year nursing student at Excelsior Community College and a past student of the Women’s Centre Foundation of Jamaica, sang the praises of the foundation while urging adults to stand by their teens who become parents themselves. Brooks, who became pregnant when she was 14, aced her exams — passing some 16 subjects — after delivering her now eight-year-old daughter who she said “is doing well in school”.

“That (teenage pregnancy) was not a good experience. It was pretty bad, horrible. People said a lot of things about me, persons passed a lot of negative remarks about my parents, but after a while I was doing well in school, getting a lot of awards, persons got to accept the fact and everything is okay now. I was in a relationship with one of my schoolmates at the time, he was much older, and then afterwards that happened. He stood by me then and up until today he still does,” she told the Observer.

Brooks said parental support, however, made a lot of difference.

“My father was very upset, he didn’t take it very well. My mother became receptive after a while, but daddy, it was after CXC (Caribbean Examination Council) [exams] when I achieved the 12 subjects that he came around. My mom stayed home with the baby but she has a business, so when she had to go into town I would stay home from school or she would just ask someone else or my grandparents,” she shared.

For Brooks, the enduring message is: Teenage pregnancy does not mean dreams have to be aborted.

“Based on my story I would encourage the girls, once you have a dream, go for that dream. Know what you want, fight for what you want. When persons say something negative about you, let it go through one ear and come back through the other.

“For the parents, stay by your children; don’t listen to what persons in the community might say because when persons are not in your shoe they will say a lot of stuff. Stick by the children. I know it’s hard and painful to see your children going out there and doing stuff you didn’t dream for them to do, but just stay by them,” she urged.

Singh, who touched down in the island last Friday after being crowned Miss World in London on December 14, had indicated that she would be continuing her efforts to ensure that adolescent mothers are given the tools to parent effectively and to continue their education.

The Government, in keeping with that vision, announced last weekend that it would be constructing a nursery at the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation in Singh’s native parish of St Thomas, to be named in her honour. Singh, who toured her home parish as part of the island’s celebration of her triumph, had selected the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation location in St Thomas for her project in entering the Miss World competition. Singh, an aspiring doctor, is the fourth Jamaican to hold the Miss World title.