The Tribune

IT is OK to love yourself, flaws and all; it is never too late to change or recover from a mistake. Know your worth, set goals, follow your dreams, and understand your purpose in life.

These were some of the messages at a recent empowerment event that sought to teach girls that they matter.

The ‘She Matters’ event was held on September 25 at the New Light Ministries Church. It is part of the ongoing nationwide tour by the Everyone Counts Organisation.

Founder and CEO of Everyone Counts Nyoka Anderson said in her opinion many lives were save and minds changed during the meeting, which saw young girls come together to overcome the negativity in their lives.

International speaker Gabrielle Star, who is the founder the Ladies of Favor mentoring programme out of Atlanta, delivered an address of encouragement to the 60 plus girls that attended the event.

Ms Anderson said some of the girls experienced emotional outbursts as they were given the opportunity to express how they felt inside without fear of judgment or censorship.

She said it was very promising to see some of the girls just let go of all the hurt and pain that they had bottled up inside. Spoken word features were presented by Amy Moss and dance selections by Terrell Green and Jorell Coakley. These activities, Ms Anderson said, allowed the girls to connect to and give them an understanding of their talents.

The empowerment event ended with a balloon release ceremony. Each girl was asked to write down on a balloon all the negative words they were ever called, all the negative feelings and thoughts they had about themselves. These balloons were then released, symbolising the turning of a new leaf and a new mindset.

As Everyone Counts organisation continues to build its platform, it does its primary work with individuals by hosting monthly mentorship programmes for women, teens and children, to inspire them to recognise their true self-worth and help them understand their human rights.

Meetings are hosted on a monthly basis; these programmes are available to the public at no cost.

For more information, e-mail everyonecounts@live.com.