President of the Young Women's Christian Association of Barbados, Margaret Pollard (left) greeting patrons of the YWCA’s 69th Anniversary Tea Party at the Barbados Yacht Club.
YWCA committed to empowering women
Over the past 69 years, the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Barbados has made entrepreneurs out of thousands of women across the island.
President Margaret Pollard is therefore calling on those persons who have benefitted from the skills taught at this noble institution to give back.
“I want you to start thinking in terms of how you can help the YWCA; don’t begin by asking how the Y can help you, think of how and what you can give to the Y…We are also calling on you young people out there with all types of skill sets to bring it to the Y, we need you. We are hoping to find someone who can teach Animation, a lucrative field to get into.”
Her comments came during the YWCA’s 69th Anniversary Tea Party at the Barbados Yacht Club, on Saturday, to raise funds for their Breakfast Club Programme for primary and secondary school children.
The Breakfast Club, launched in 2007, has gone from serving a nutritious breakfast to 30 children to providing that meal for in excess of 1 300 children.
Programmes under way
The President also took the opportunity to report on the successful commencement of the Y’s Community Outreach Programmes. She said that there has been wide interest in the CXC Maths on Saturday mornings; and an increase in the children for the Reading Programme.
“In addition, we are ready to commence line dancing, so members of the public who have not heard as yet it is on Tuesday and Friday evenings from 6 to 7 p.m. There is also Yoga and the dressmaking classes commence next term,” she disclosed.
Pollard pledged to keep the YWCA alive with activity, urging: “We want the public to stay the course with us. We do not intend to give up.
“If we want to keep women in the vanguard to progress, to develop themselves, to shoulder responsibility and to make a change in someone else’s life, you have got to stay with the Y. We have re-opened the doors of the YWCA.”
Throughout the evening patrons were treated to “Madd” Comedian Eric Lewis, melodies from Denis Warner; a Hat Showing; and Liturgical Dancing from the St. Leonard’s Dancers. (TL)