Building a movement — one woman at a time
By Kisean Joseph kisean.joseph@antiguaobserver.com A newly established foundation is positioning itself to become Antigua and Barbuda’s leading platform for women’s empowerment, with its founder saying the mission is already delivering results on the ground. Kacian Edwards launched FemForge Foundation to provide women across the island with emotional support, financial assistance, and mentorship creating what she […]
Black News 
By Kisean Joseph
kisean.joseph@antiguaobserver.com
A newly established foundation is positioning itself to become Antigua and Barbuda’s leading platform for women’s empowerment, with its founder saying the mission is already delivering results on the ground.
Kacian Edwards launched FemForge Foundation to provide women across the island with emotional support, financial assistance, and mentorship creating what she describes as a safe space where women can grow and reach their full potential. The foundation’s official public launch is scheduled for August 8th at People’s Place, from five to eight in the evening, with tickets priced at $5.
Edwards, who grew up in Gray’s Farm, said the inspiration for FemForge came from witnessing firsthand the challenges faced by young women in her community.
“Where I grew up, I saw a lot of young females, the age of 16, 17, pregnant, dropping out of school and I just feel like I needed to make a change,” she said.
That desire for change was crystallised during a community meeting with the Prime Minister ahead of the general election in April, where Edwards raised the need for a female empowerment group and requested government support. While a recommended meeting space at the IT Centre in Point proved unusable due to structural damage, Edwards said the setback only sharpened her resolve.
The foundation has already commenced outreach activities, including a hydration initiative that saw donations of water delivered to female-led groups, among them a netball tournament in Seatons and a local dance academy. Edwards recalled that a single case of water donated to the dance academy produced an unexpectedly powerful response.
“She was like, no, even if it was a motivational speech, we needed this,” Edwards said. “I left there feeling like I did something and I made a change.”
FemForge’s target audience spans high school students, pregnant women, teenagers, and women in vulnerable circumstances. The launch event will feature networking sessions, guest speakers, makeup artists, and cosmetologists. Among those on the programme is Christine from the Hope for Life Foundation, who will speak about her own journey leading a foundation.
Edwards said collaboration is central to her approach, noting that all partner organisations represented at the launch are female-led.
“It’s support. It’s sisterhood,” she said.
Funding has come primarily through sponsors cultivated at Edwards’ workplace, a logistics and shipping company, as well as through social media engagement, with supporters reaching out after seeing the foundation’s donation posts online. Edwards credited Senator Shaquan O’Neal as the first person to believe in the idea and make a financial contribution when FemForge was still in its earliest stages.
The foundation is currently seeking permanent meeting space and is pursuing support from the Prime Minister’s office and from MP Maria Brown.
Edwards said she envisions FemForge becoming the leading women’s empowerment platform in Antigua and Barbuda within five years and she had a direct message for young people hesitant to pursue their own ideas.
“If I can do it, you can do it,” she said.
Those interested in supporting or connecting with FemForge Foundation can reach Edwards on Instagram at The FemForge Foundation, on Facebook under Casey Edwards, by phone at 773-0365.
