Girls aged 12 to 17 participated in a mentorship workshop focused on bullying, self-esteem, gang violence and sexuality during an event hosted by the Ricardo Barriteau Drue Foundation at Hodges Bay Resort & Spa on Monday.

The workshop, titled “I Am, I Will,” was held under the patronage of the Halo Foundation and featured presentations from members of Team Antigua Island Girls, police officers, senators and Her Excellency Lady Williams, wife of the Governor General.

Nicola Barriteau, mother of the late Ricardo Drue, said the workshop was designed to help young women navigate the challenges they face during adolescence.

“We know that this time is a difficult time for them, hormones are raging, their perception of life is different, social media is a killer,” Barriteau said. “We really just wanted to address some of those important and urgent issues with them today.”

She said the initiative aimed to reinforce the message that every young woman has value and potential.

“Ensuring that young women in Antigua and Barbuda and across the region understand that they are important, they are enough and they can be whatever they want to be,” she said.

Barriteau explained that the foundation was established in 2023 to continue Ricardo Drue’s vision of creating opportunities in arts and entertainment for young people who may not have access to formal training.

“Not everyone is able to afford the lessons or training for their children,” she said. “So the foundation was formed to give children in Antigua and Barbuda, and by extension we can move across the region, a home where they can apply their trade, hone their skills and embrace arts and entertainment.”

The foundation previously hosted a boys’ workshop on crime and gang violence in 2025 and a series of legacy workshops in 2024 featuring professionals from the arts and entertainment sector.

Barriteau said the organisation’s next objective is to establish a permanent centre dedicated to arts, entertainment and youth empowerment programmes.

“Instead of us going to them, they can come to us and we embrace it,” she said.

The Ricardo Barriteau Drue Foundation says it remains committed to advancing Ricardo Drue’s vision through programmes focused on arts, entertainment, innovation and empowerment.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Ricardo Barriteau Drue Foundation Hosts Girls' Mentorship Workshop on Self-Esteem and Life Challenges.