Media Release: Girls of Impact hosts “Include Her Empowerment Symposium”

On Saturday 23rd March, 2024, Girls of Impact Trinidad and Tobago (GOI), a Non-Profit Organization, hosted an inaugural event titled “Include Her: Empowerment Symposium”, at the Bon Air West Community Centre. Approximately forty (40) young women between the ages of 15 -30 years, were in attendance at the event. The Symposium, aimed to illuminate the transformative power of proactivity, demonstrating that women can shape a reality where the world recognizes their inherent value with deserving opportunities. The panel comprised of six (6) distinguished ‘all female’ speakers, which included women who have established themselves in various careers within the corporate, media, protective services , health and wellness , creative and entrepreneurial fields.

Founder and Executive Director of Girls of Impact, Renee Atwell, in her delivery of the welcome and opening remarks, congratulated the young women for taking a proactive step to invest in themselves. She highlighted the mission and vision of the NGO and encouraged the young women to take full advantage of the wealth of knowledge and networking opportunities provide at the Symposium.

The free symposium’s six panel discussion themed “Include Her” was specifically designed to mirror this year’s International Women’s Day theme “Inspire Inclusion”. The programme consisted of interactive discussions within the themes of Self Esteem and Awareness, Resilience and Balance, which were moderated by GOI Team Members, Kemba Cox, Assistant Director Communications and Huda Ibrahiiim, Board Member with responsibility for Programmes.

The following speakers engaged with the vibrant young audience:

• Jilean Fabien- Entrepreneur, Destiny Coach, Publisher, Author, Television Producer and Gayelle Presenter, delivered on the topic of “Faith and Awareness”
• Cherice Job- Leadership Trainer and Business Strategist and Chairperson, Board of Directors, GOI, spoke on the topic of “ Mental Aptitude and the art of winning”.
• Jessica James- Former Track and Field National Athlete, Ms. World Fitness Winner and CEO of First Lady Fit and Wellness Ltd. delivered on the topic of “Physical Wellness”
• Charlene Pedro- Corporate Trainer, Women Empowerment Coach and Human Resource Consultant, Speaker and Mentor, delivered on the topic of “Rejection and Failure”.
• Renee Bain Keller- Acting Superintendent, Board Member, Police Credit Union and past Director of the Board of the Association of Female Executives (AFETT) spoke on the key components of “Stress Management”.
• Genisa Sellier (NISA)- Award Winning Recording Artiste, Vocal Coach, Author, Social Media Influencer and Podcaster, spoke on “Creativity and navigating Social Spaces”.

The room was engulfed with a sea of enthusiastic young women, who shared personal challenges similar to the ones shared by many of the speakers. Following feedback received, the event was described as “Perfect, Innovative and Exceeding Expectations”. This vibrant NGO, which aims to empower young women and girls in T&T between the ages of 15 – 30, through mentorship, leadership training and volunteerism was officially launched on 25th June 2022. The Girls of Impact is a community for ambitious and impactful young women who desire to succeed in education, career, and entrepreneurship. The organization was created out of a need to foster a community for underprivileged young women to access resources to succeed in life while creating a lasting social impact.

This Symposium, was hosted on the heels of a recently concluded free online webinar on Parenting Troubles Teen and Tween Girls on 08th March 2024, which was designed to empower parents in the journey of raising troubled teen girls.

The GOI anticipates an exciting 2024 calendar of events, with its upcoming 2nd Edition/ Cohort of the NGO’s Mentorship Programme titled “Accelerate Her”, which is scheduled to kick off in August 2024 , and will target young women who desire professional and personal guidance to advance in the working world and entrepreneurship.

To be a part of this movement visit our website at www.girlsofimpact.org ; like and follow us on Facebook and Instagram at girlsofimpact868; and on LinkedIn at Girls of Impact T&T or email us at info@girlsofimpact.org.

Assistant Director of Communications
March 29th 2024