The Tribune

By ALESHA CADET

Tribune Features Reporter

acadet@tribunemedia.net

COMING from a troubled past and having a child at a young age, Antanice Williams said she did not know her story would turn out to be a positive tale that inspires others.

At the age of 15 Antanice said she found herself struggling through her most trying times. Getting pregnant during her final year in high-school led to her being expelled. She enrolled in the PACE, a support programme for teenage mothers.
PACE has existed under various names since 1969 and has assisted at least 3000 teenage mothers, their children and families since. The programme is currently housed in the Sunday School room of Central Gospel and provides the only means by which a teenage mother can re-enter high school and complete her education.

“When I went to PACE, I was a world of confusion and trouble. However, the programme really impacted my life. I couldn’t prevent the things that I had to go through, but if I can prevent it for others, I want to do that. And even if I can reform young ladies that are already on the path of trying times, which is the part that I am very passionate about, I am here for them,” said Antanice.

Now 29 years old, Antanice is the founder of “All Together Lovely”, an organisation she hopes will always be there to help and motivate young Bahamian women.

“All Together Lovely is a network that I formed, which is basically a group of women coming together to help teen girls who are misplaced and need motivation to get started in life. It was formed when I first moved to Nassau in 2009,” she said.
“Going through hardships and struggles, I didn’t have any place to stay or a job. It got to the point where I was staying in my car. I started to get on my feet when I started to think about my life and me having a purpose. I thought about ways how I could give back,” said Antanice
She said many times it takes a major situation before people decide to give back. She figured that when you focus on helping someone else get over their problems, it minimises your problems, and that is how she birthed “All Together Lovely.”

“I didn’t really have any help from anyone when I first got the vision to start the organisation. I always knew that I wanted to give back to teen girls and to the PACE organisation in particular. Coming from a background where I was a rebellious teen and I got my life together and I started to pursue my dreams, I also wanted to pass that opportunity on to other young ladies. I wanted to show them that even though you started out one way in life, your road can change and you can take a different path. You don’t have to lead a destructive lifestyle,” said Antanice.
In the form of motivational speaking and discussions with teenagers, Antanice said she started to lend her hand.

“I did a few sessions at AF Adderley School, along with my church, Word of Life Kingdom Ministries. We went in and we spoke to a group of 40 students. At first I didn’t know that I could motivate people, but when I started to speak to them and I saw that I actually got their attention, a friend of mine told me ‘you know you are speaking their language, you can relate to them.’ I related to what they were going through because it is something that I also had to walk through in my life,” said Antanice.
On her daily bus rides, Antanice said she often hears conversations between teenagers on topics that “shouldn’t even be coming out of their mouths”.
“I realise that when I stop to talk to them, I get their attention a lot. After one of my sessions, there was this 12 year old that came up to me with some very personal questions. I sat and I spoke with her and really opened up about my life and the mistakes that I made,” said Antanice.
Recently, Antanice along with the All Together Lovely and PACE Foundation, made an attempt to host a “ others Helping Mothers.” The event was created to encompass charitable deeds, empowerment and motivational forums for teen mothers and teenage girls.
Antanice said the Mothers Helping Mothers event that was scheduled to take place on May 10 was postponed due to the lack of community support. It has been rescheduled for mid August.

“The event itself is basically a charity drive. Myself, along with a few friends, we are calling on the public to assist us with donations for tangible goods such as baby clothes, diapers and whatever it is they can give to the PACE centre,” said Antanice.

“This is the first time that I am doing this and I know people are sceptical with things that are new, so I said that I would just go and invest my own money in it and let people see what I’m doing. I know when it’s your vision, you have to push it and show people that you believe in it more than anyone else. And that is my passion towards Mothers Helping Mothers. I would take grocery money and go to the United States to buy the diapers, the wipes and donate it the PACE centre. I will push to get the word out there to let people know that this is what I am doing for my community,” she said. 
Antanice said she believes in young girls and she believes they can be mentored back to health.