Boost for Women’s Centre
A structured learning environment is key to successful academic achievements. This includes the physical design, set up and atmosphere of the classroom, placement of desks and chairs, word walls, posters and bulletin boards.
With the help of CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank, the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF) has improved their Denbigh centre in Clarendon to better serve the needs of their students.
The WCJF, a government agency with the mandate to provide adolescent mothers with the opportunity to continue their education during and after the period of their pregnancy, operates through several main centres and outreach stations across Jamaica.
The Denbigh centre, which began as an outreach station in 2000, was recently upgraded to a main centre, and houses 25 adolescent mothers and nine babies registered to the nursery. The centre has also begun a breakfast programme and provides each student with a hot lunch each day.
With CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank’s support, the centre procured additional fans, desks and chairs to accommodate the growing number of students and to ensure that they are comfortable during classes.
“Teenage pregnancy is a challenge for many nations — including Jamaica — and we must applaud the work of the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation in ensuring that these young women continue their formal education during and after pregnancy so that they may have the foundation to improve their lives and that of their children,” said Nigel Holness, managing director of the bank.
