Good in 2020:
She Matters to Me hits target - Initiative delivers 100 gift packages to teen moms
Published:Saturday | January 2, 2021 | 12:05 AMKrysta Anderson/Gleaner Writer
The Woman’s Touch Foundation has fulfilled the commitment made through its She Matters to Me Initiative to deliver 100 care packages to the teen antenatal clinic at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital (VJH).
In an interview with The Gleaner last year, gynaecologist Dr Chris-Ann Simpson-Harley said she hoped to make a difference in the lives of these young ladies who are often left with little or no support. Her aim was to deliver 100 care packages to teen moms. When that target was achieved, the creator of the Woman’s Touch sanitary line, with her team, made the special delivery just in time for the Christmas season. They handed the teens on ward gift bags which contained maternity pads and feminine wipes, baby bottles, diapers, clothing, blankets, olive oil and other toiletries and necessities.
“The teens were so surprised and grateful. They have such a long road ahead, but we don’t want them to feel alone. It takes a village to raise a child, after all. But it [also] takes a village to support a woman,” she highlighted.
SUPPORT IS APPRECIATED
The event is the first of its kind for the dedicated group, and the team is looking forward to making this initiative an annual one. “We have drop-off locations in Kingston at Sonia’s Homestyle Cooking on Central Avenue [and] West Trade Medical Centre at Big Buy Plaza in Portmore, St Catherine. All donations are welcome and will be going to a worthy cause,” she said, adding that they are looking to increase their drop-off locations. “We need more drop-off locations. So we would appreciate support in that aspect as well,” said Dr Simpson-Harley.
Not only has Woman’s Touch adopted the teen pregnancy clinic at the VJH, but, when you buy any Woman’s Touch product, available in most major retailers, wholesalers [and] pharmacies islandwide, proceeds from the sale are donated to She Matters to Me.
She Matters to Me is a passion project for Dr Simpson-Harley, having seen the struggles teen mothers face in her line of work, as well as hearing of the struggles her grandmother faced having a child at 14 years old.
“We started the foundation informally last year and have been quietly donating to women’s causes like girls’ homes, inner-city communities and period-poverty initiatives. Woman’s Touch was created because she – women and girls, matter to me,” she told The Gleaner.
The initiative provides a space and the resources needed to bring about change in a positive and lasting way. It functions as the main channel for the Woman’s Touch outreach and development programme. The ultimate aim is to improve lives and empower women, whether young and old, to know their worth, be fearless, understand their power and their influence, and use these assets as vital tools to develop Jamaica and impact the world.
To learn more about the She Matters to Me Initiative, visit or follow @getwomanstouch on Instagram and Facebook to see how you can help.