ON November 23, EmpoweredFem Guyana, Barrels of Love, InsideOut, and Mother’s Union-Guyana executed the Glo Girl Camp at the Vryman’s Erven Secondary School. This initiative aimed to empower adolescent girls at Vryman’s Erven Secondary to address and overcome gender-based barriers by providing them with tools and knowledge to improve decision-making, pursue opportunities, and enhance their overall health and well-being.

The event saw full participation from all the girls catered for. A total of 40 girls from grades 8–10 (ages 12–15) were selected through assessments done by the school’s guidance counsellor, Raquel Wade, and headteacher, Shaundel Phillips.
The impactful sessions were facilitated by Denica Henry, Marissa Foster, Seeta Dalloo, Yvonne Barrow, Stephanie Persaud, and Adele Minty. The facilitators encouraged the participants to speak up and support each other in creating a safer, more respectful community. They were inspired to become role models and positive voices for change against gender-based violence (GBV) in their schools and communities.

According to Seeta Dalloo, a social worker and co-founder of EmpoweredFem, “It was a great experience, and it’s always a pleasure to work with young girls, especially when they’re at an impressionable age where guidance is important. The highlight of the sessions was seeing the girls being responsive to the information shared,” she said. “Their engagement with the content was very encouraging, and it was great to see them form their own opinions on various topics. I also believe more programmes like these should be available for other girls in Guyana because it’s important to create access to information-sharing and a safe empowerment space.”

Stephanie Persaud from 501c3 Barrels of Love Int. (USA) and Yvonne Barrow from InsideOut collaborated with EmpoweredFem on this initiative for girls in Berbice. EmpoweredFem, as a local group familiar with the need for a project at Vryman’s Erven Secondary, recommended the school and target audience and facilitated contact with school officials. Together, these groups created Glo Girl.

Yvonne managed most of the project logistics and secured funding support from the Mother’s Union of Guyana. Stephanie Persaud donated gift bags filled with educational resources, stationery, and other thoughtful gifts for the girls.

The programme covered topics such as:

Understanding Gender-Based Violence
Mental Health Coping Skills
Building Healthy Relationships and Boundaries
Purpose Finding and Self-Esteem Building
Girls as Leaders and Changemakers Against GBV
The girls also learned an empowerment pledge led by Yvonne Barrow, with the hope of inspiring them to share their experiences and knowledge with other classmates. Through interactive sessions such as role-playing and scenario discussions, the girls engaged deeply with the topics.

In observance of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, a real-life story of GBV in Guyana was analysed by Marissa Foster and the students. This session fostered meaningful dialogue and action-oriented solutions.
Yvonne Barrow shared, “Glo Girl 1.0 highlighted a group full of joy and so much potential. Their rich laughter mixed with questions of the uncertain is proof that our girls need us as much as we need them.”
The team is planning a second phase of the programme for early next year. Participants welcomed the Glo Girl Initiative and provided suggestions for future topics, such as poverty. The partners aim to expand this initiative to other communities across Guyana and welcome support from local groups and organisations for future collaborations.