On Monday, the Ricardo Barriteau Drue Foundation brought adolescent girls aged 12 to 17 together for a transformative mentorship workshop at Hodges Bay Resort & Spa, centered on four pressing issues facing young women today: bullying, self-esteem, gang violence, and healthy sexuality. Titled “I Am, I Will,” the event operated under the patronage of the Halo Foundation and drew an impressive roster of expert speakers and community leaders, including members of Team Antigua Island Girls, serving police officers, sitting senators, and Her Excellency Lady Williams, wife of Antigua and Barbuda’s Governor General.
Nicola Barriteau, founder of the organization and mother of the late Ricardo Drue, explained that the workshop was crafted specifically to equip young women with the tools to navigate the turbulent transitions of adolescence. A core goal of the gathering, she noted, was to embed a lasting belief that every girl and young woman carries inherent value and untapped potential, regardless of her background.
“Our aim is to ensure that young women across Antigua and Barbuda, and eventually the wider Caribbean, understand that they are important, they are enough, and they can achieve any dream they set their minds to,” Barriteau shared in an address during the event.
She added that many families across the region lack the financial resources to access specialized personal development training for their children, a gap the foundation was created to fill. “The foundation provides a welcoming space where young people in Antigua and Barbuda, and eventually across the region, can practice their crafts, sharpen their skills, and fully embrace arts and entertainment,” she explained.
This girls’ empowerment workshop is just the latest in a series of community-focused initiatives the organization has rolled out in recent years. In 2024, the foundation hosted a series of legacy workshops connecting young people with established professionals from across the arts and entertainment sectors. It followed that programming with a dedicated workshop for boys focused on crime and gang violence prevention in 2025.
Looking ahead, the organization has set an ambitious new goal: to launch a permanent community centre that will host ongoing arts, entertainment, and youth empowerment programming. Barriteau explained that a fixed venue would eliminate the logistical barriers of hosting scattered events, allowing young people to access support and programming whenever they need it. “Instead of us going to them, they can come to us, and we will welcome them with open arms,” she said.
The Ricardo Barriteau Drue Foundation has reaffirmed its long-term commitment to upholding the vision of its namesake through targeted programming that prioritizes arts development, entertainment innovation, and widespread youth empowerment across the Caribbean region.