POWA has once again delivered on its commitment to empower women and by extension entire families.  The latest initiative is a group health and life plan with Saticor Life Inc. 

In the context of escalating health costs and the increased incidence of non-communicable diseases, the Economic Issues Subcommittee which was established in February 2008 decided to make the establishiment of a group health plan one of its projects for the year. The Committee is pleased to announce that the plan came into effect on October 1st with just under 50% of the membership capitalizing on the opportunity to enrol.

Group health policies make health care more affordable by spreading the cost over a group of at least ten (10) members.  Members can add their dependents to the plan by selecting either coverage for one additional person(i.e. a child or spouse) or for the entire family. In this context family is defined as spouse and children.

Persons interested in obtaining more information about group health insurance are encouraged to contact Sagicor Life Inc. by calling 481-5503 or by sending an e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Or POWA members who have not yet enrolled can register their interest by sending an e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Tomorrow, Thursday, the Have Your Say programme hosted by POWA will speak to one of the issues that will be covered during this year’s School Call In For Parents … Again!  Specifically, we will be looking at the topic titled “Can We Talk? The Subject is Sex,” and we invite parents, guardians and, indeed, all those mandated to care for children and young people to tune in and listen.

Now, we are quite aware that this is one of those subjects that grown-ups – no matter how liberal and enlightened they consider themselves to be – just seem to find themselves uncomfortable with discussing. And this is a pity, because, in the absence of a conversation between concerned parent and child, our young people will find themselves in heavy sessions of misinformation, disinformation, fantasy and plain old fool-off with not only their peers, but with predatory and exploitative adults, as well.

Many parents would like to think that their little chuk-a-luks are too young for that talk about the-birds-and-the-bees. After all, he’s just five years old, fresh out of pres-school, and he wouldn’t understand.  Or, they fool themselves into believing that their 12-year-old daughter, shiny and new in her secondary-school uniform, shouldn’t hear about such things just in case she is tempted to try.
Well, we have news – bad news – for you, Mom and Dad.  Little Junior could probably tell you a story or two about where babies really come from, and your First Former’s best friend might be the one distributing the condoms at recess.

Surely it’s not as bad as that, you protest.  We agree. It’s worse.
Talk with any secondary or junior-secondary school teacher or counselor, and your hair might just curl to learn what they know on the subject.  But, worse than the truth of our children and teenagers engaging in usually unprotected sex, as couples and in groups, with each other is the bitter fact that they’re getting it on with grown men, too, with the occasional big woman thrown in for good measure.