By Lincoln G. Peter
Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor on Monday, 25 July 2022 officially dedicated and turned over the Young Women Christian Association (YWCA) of Liberia’s Jewels Training Center.
The center is meant to provide technical vocational education for young women and girls in an effort to enhance self-reliance and mitigate illiteracy, early marriage and unwanted pregnancy among girls across the country.
The program which was held at the YWCA in Congo Town brought together several members of the diplomatic corps.
Among them were Chinese Ambassador to Liberia Ren Yisheng, delegates from Germany, Europe and several other diplomats from Africa and beneficiaries of the Jewel Starfish Foundation.
The YWCA Jewels Training Center was established by the Jewel Starfish Foundation (JSF).
It is a leading NGO in Liberia dedicated to ensuring core competencies in girls’ education, leadership mentoring, sexual gender-based violence (SGBV) issues, social protection, and inclusion for underprivileged girls.
The foundation was established with an objective to educate, mentor, inspire, empower, protect and showcase a new generation of visionary women leaders.
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The foundation is a duly registered non-profit organization with members from five countries.
In a special statement, VP Jewel Howard-Taylor expressed excitement for the assistance and support of her partners and friends in standing with her to develop the capacity of young women and girls across the country.
“I choose this site for the training center because I came here as a little girl and my parents and siblings and I grew up down the street there,” she said.
“Every Saturday morning, we came to YWCA and learned various kinds of skills. We were also taught leadership, value and responsibility, how to be good citizens and that is what I am today,” said VP Howard – Taylor.
She said she wants the younger people in this new generation with all the difficulties that they face to come and learn all those things.
She said she wants to see them all in the next stage of their life and for them to be strong girls.
Delivering the keynote address, Ms. Praise Vha, urged the young women to take technical vocational skills seriously.
She said it adds value to a person and it brings quick cash. –Edited by Winston W. Parley
