The Upton Gardens Girls Centre, a satellite agency of the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment, is celebrating the success of two clients who recently completed its Transformative Programme.
The achievement highlights the centre’s dedication to equipping young girls facing challenges with the tools to grow, thrive, and reintegrate confidently into their families and communities.
The centre is actively working to reduce stigma, emphasising that it is not a place for “bad girls” but rather a nurturing space for personal growth and support.
Reflecting on her transformative journey, one of the graduates said: “I feel overwhelmed seeing where I came from before and now. I never knew about Upton Gardens Girls Centre until now. With the stigma attached, people thought this was where bad students go, but this is not the case. Upton helps you develop skills you never knew you had. We are a big family, so if you don’t have support at home, the Upton family provides that.”
Social worker and tutor at the centre, Josephine Mayers highlighted the key programmes driving this transformation.
“Core programmes include Health and Family Life, focusing on body development and dealing with pressures, and ‘Why Try,’ which helps young girls explore why they engage in certain behaviours and how to overcome them,” she said. “By sharing relatable success stories, these programmes show that overcoming challenges is possible.”
These initiatives, combined with active parental involvement, create a strong foundation for the girls’ growth and long-term success.
“We really want parents to be part of the programme. When a girl leaves here by 3:00 p.m., the family should continue the work we’re doing. This is how society benefits from a group of young women who have grown and are prepared for the next step to success,” Mayers said.
The Upton Gardens Girls Centre said it remains committed to breaking down stigma, fostering resilience, and empowering young girls with the skills to confidently navigate life’s challenges.
We also need a remedial centre/ boarding home like this for young women as well as another for young men in their early 20s who grew up without support and proper guidance, the ones who may have initially taken the wrong paths and lost their way, but want to get back on track while being a part of a supportive “family” body. If we want to fight crime we must tackle the problem from the root, which is usually damaged individuals who become damaging/toxic parents.