Miss KSA Festival Queen launches ‘The Refinery’ for teen moms
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Miss Kingston and St Andrew (KSA) Festival Queen Danielle Cox has officially launched her parish project, aimed at addressing the lack of empowerment and access to resources for teenage mothers in her home region.
The project, dubbed ‘The Refinery: Becoming, Not Broken’, began in March 2026 at the Mary’s Child Home.
According to Cox, who was the second runner-up in the National Festival Queen Coronation in August, not enough is being done to make young mothers aware of opportunities that exits for them.
“I was inspired by my mother’s story of teenage motherhood and decided to pay it forward by pouring into the younger generation of mothers,” she said.
The Refinery will benefit teenage mothers and, by extension, their children. Its activities include empowerment talks, practical skills training, and resource sharing.
The project is being executed in partnership with the Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation and will be implemented across the Corporate Area.
In the short term, the initiative aims to connect at least 25 young mothers with mentorship, life-skills training, educational resources, and career development opportunities. It also seeks to establish at least five partnerships with businesses, educational institutions, and community organisations.
The long-term goal is to develop The Refinery into a structured, sustainable programme that supports young mothers across multiple parishes in Jamaica
“I will measure The Refinery’s success by the tangible impact it has on young mothers’ lives,” Cox said. “Ultimately, success means seeing young mothers grow in confidence, access opportunities, and realise that becoming a young mother does not mean their dreams must end. They are becoming, not broken.
“Jamaica must know that the journey of a young mother does not end at her pregnancy. These mothers are capable of achieving their goals excellently. They can and will greatly contribute to the advancement of Jamaica, and The Refinery will prove it,” she said.
The project is now seeking financial sponsorship to help execute some of its various activities.
Persons interested in supporting or volunteering can email therefinery.jm@gmail.com or contact the project via Instagram @therefinery.jm.
antoine.lodge@gleanerjm.com