Teacher crafts free floral arrangement classes to empower St Mary women

St Mary teacher Ruth-Ann Taylor has empowered several St Mary women in the Boscobel area with the skill of floral arrangement, opening doors for them to earn an income.

Despite being employed full-time by the education ministry, Taylor has leveraged her time to set up the Unemployed Women Initiative programme, through which 15 women have completed a two-month training in floral arrangement. This she says has given them a new level of confidence as they are now equipped to improve their economic situation.

Taylor says the the training includes learning to make bouquets, wrist corsages, pinned corsages, boutonnières, wreaths, round design centre piece arrangements, dry floral arrangements and other skills.

The participants range in age from 19 to 65 years and include three sets of mother and daughter.

“The ‘hand that rocks the cradle rules the world’. Women empowerment not only benefits individuals but also strengthens families and communities. When women are empowered, they feel confident, capable, and assertive, they experience a sense of freedom and autonomy, knowing they have choices and can pursue their goals,” Taylor told The Gleaner in explaining the purpose behind the programme.

She said further: “The overarching goal of this initiative is to train unemployed women in floral arrangement to improve their economic prospects post-COVID. Vast amounts of individuals lost their livelihood during the pandemic. Some women who depend on their spouses and family members become overwhelmed with a dependency syndrome. The Unemployed Women Initiative was designed to create entrepreneurs through floral arrangement.”

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Flowers are used in various forms for various occasions including weddings, funerals, graduations, and other social events.

Taylor funded the programme herself and with the assistance of Father Prince Taylor Younge and board members of the St Mathew’s Anglican Church in Boscobel, who allowed the use the church for the programme, the training started in February.

She says participants are provided with materials, tools and other necessary resources daily to complete tasks that were assigned.

One participant, Samantha Grant, shared her satisfaction with the initiative.

“Ms Taylor wanted us to see the potential we can have with this skill she’s teaching us for free, that we can be future floral entrepreneurs,” Grant told The Gleaner.

“This journey has been a great experience and I want to put a lot of emphasis on the mere fact that Ms Taylor dedicated herself to this project and I’m proud to be a part of her first batch and I hope she continues on this path, Grant added.

In addition to the floral arrangement, the group participated in a community cleanup which saw to the beautification of local beaches in St Mary.

Taylor says her aim is to create more opportunities for unemployed women to rise above their current circumstances.

“As an independent single mother, it is my pleasure to extend myself to unemployed women to become independent and secure,” she explained. “Together we are making a difference in the lives of these women and empowering them to thrive in the face of adversity.”

According to Taylor: “My motivation stems from making a positive impact on their lives and empowering them to achieve their full potential and generate their own income stream. Witnessing their growth, confidence, and success brings me a sense of fulfilment and purpose that transcends any personal gain.”