US Embassy pitch competition helping to empower women

A 28-year-old mother of three secured her first job after being provided with access to and training in technology from youth empowerment organisation Youth Can Do I.T (YCDI). 

She was among the beneficiaries of the organisation’s work to help persons learn skills in information technology.  

“It was at a call centre which people might think is trivial but it was the best thing that ever happened to her. She came back and said ‘Miss mi pass di typing test wid flying colours and when mi go in the interview, I knew how to talk about myself and what my strengths were’,”  founder and managing director, Lianne McNaughton, recounted.

YCDI was one of the grant recipients of the US Embassy’s pitch competition in 2018, launched the same year in celebration of Women’s History month. 

Eve for life, HerFlow Foundation, Jamaica Mental Health Advocacy Network and Abilities Foundation are the other grantees who participated in the roundtable.

Each organisation received US$20,000.

In a media roundtable at the embassy in Kingston today, McNaughton shared some of the successes of the youth empowerment organisation which was formed in 2016. 

She outlined that 30 female high school and university students were individually paired with professional women in information technology in a mentorship pilot programme. 

The year-long initiative sought to increase the confidence and awareness of the participants as well as provide technical, personal and professional development assistance. 

Participants also learnt how to build websites, web development, personal branding, design and animation. 

McNaughton shared that applicants who were not successful had the opportunity to participate in open workshops and the organisation’s ambassadorship programme.

Three of the mentees had the opportunity to attend the Women in Tech Conference held in California and also began entrepreneurial pursuits. 

In what she described as “success begets success”, McNaughton said YCDI, through sponsorship by the Sandals Foundation and Coca-Cola, implemented a major project in Rose Town. 

The community centre was renovated and provided with computers and furniture and girls ages 14 to 28 were exposed to a 16-week training programme. 

“What we wanted to do, we had to scratch half of it. We had to knock it down a few levels in terms of their technical ability. We spent a lot of time helping them to type properly, setting up their emails [and] when they created their blog or website, [we had to help with] proper grammar,” she said.

McNaughton’s long term goal is to launch and develop an online community where continuous support can be provided. 

- Judana Murphy

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