200 St James girls to benefit from menstrual health initiative Saturday

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Approximately 200 girls from Montego Bay and surrounding communities in St James are set to benefit from a menstrual health and wellness initiative on Saturday, November 7. The event, dubbed “The Wellness Cycle”, will be hosted by Dear Ambitious Girl and the Rotary Club of Trafalgar New Heights, in partnership with lead sponsors WalkGoodLA and the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce, at the Montego Bay Cultural Centre in Sam Sharpe Square. According to a release on Thursday, the initiative aims to promote menstrual health education, confidence and overall well-being among young girls, while highlighting the importance of community support as western Jamaica continues to recover from the devastation caused by Category 5 Hurricane Melissa. The hurricane claimed more than 40 lives, caused billions of dollars in damage, particularly across western parishes, and disrupted livelihoods and daily life in several communities. The initiative will engage girls aged 10 to 15, who were preselected from schools across St James, in a day of interactive discussions and educational sessions led by healthcare professionals, counsellors and educators. Among the presenters will be US-based medical doctor and menstrual health expert Dr Natasha Ramsey. Participants will also receive care packages containing menstrual and personal-care essentials, along with meals and refreshments throughout the day. The Wellness Cycle is the flagship initiative of New York-based organisation Dear Ambitious Girl and will be staged in Jamaica for the first time, with the Rotary Club of Trafalgar New Heights spearheading local implementation. Founder and executive director of Dear Ambitious Girl, Lola Falana, said the programme was designed to address menstrual health beyond simply providing sanitary products. “The Wellness Cycle was created from the belief that menstrual health is about so much more than access to products,” Falana explained. “It’s about giving girls the knowledge to better understand their bodies, creating safe spaces where they can ask questions and making sure they have the resources and support they need to feel confident. We are incredibly excited to bring that experience to Jamaica and work alongside these local partners to create a meaningful day for girls in Montego Bay.” Meanwhile, Shunelle Nevers, who is coordinating the initiative on behalf of the Rotary Club of Trafalgar New Heights, underscored the importance of ensuring that girls have access to reliable health information, particularly in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. She noted that the hurricane’s impact may have further compounded existing challenges faced by young girls in accessing menstrual health education and essential supplies. “As Montego Bay and the wider parish of St James recover from Hurricane Melissa, we want to make sure girls are not overlooked. Bringing The Wellness Cycle here, for the first time in Jamaica, tells our girls that their health, their questions and their well-being matter, and that this community is investing in them as we rebuild together,” Nevers said. “Every girl deserves to understand her body and to manage her health with confidence and dignity.” Over the past two years, The Wellness Cycle has reached more than 1,000 girls and distributed upwards of 36,000 menstrual products across the United States and Nigeria. The Jamaican staging is being supported by lead sponsors WalkGoodLA and the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce, alongside SN Global Advisory Limited, For Women by Women Period., Nelson-Brown, Guy and Francis Attorneys-At-Law, Gorjus Doc, Bold Giraffe, Spaces Limited, WolGlow, Inspire and Serve Limited, HerFlow Foundation, Obstetrics Plus Limited, Life’s Essence Products, the St James Municipal Corporation and iPrint Group of Companies.