WWD Women's Center and Kindergarten, Jamaica

Jamaica is a country rich in beauty and valuable natural resources. However, its endemic poverty, crime, violence, drug abuse, social unrest and environmental degradation have had a dramatic impact on the Jamaican family. With 85% of its children living in single parent households, many are unwanted or become orphaned. Mothers struggle to survive and support their families, most without the assistance of a husband or other source of income. When women in Jamaica suffer, their children suffer as well.

The WWD Women's Center and Kindergarten in Kingston has been addressing the needs of the most marginalized women and children in Jamaica since 1985. Initially, progressive pre-school education was offered to low-income children along with free daily lunches. An outreach program was also developed to provide educational experiences to poor, disabled, or hospitalized children throughout the Kingston area.

The Women's Center, which originally started as a shelter for teenaged girls, now serves as temporary housing for women and girls. The Center also offers preventive health classes, support groups, yoga and meditation, a recycling program, cultural events, and primary health care.

“I see women excelling the field of higher education, the back bone of the country, and yet they still suffer in a strongly paternalistic society with little support.”

Rebecca Alcok, Women's Center Director