ISLANDISTAS WE LOVE
Glamour for a great cause at Tickled Pink 2013.
a dedicated caregiver at Kaiowa’s nursery, helped the young mother juggle multiple responsibilities. But it was still far from easy and she had to develop keen time management skills and make sacrifices. “Naturally, being in a foreign country, I had very few babysitters so while my classmates were out partying, I stayed home. It forces you to grow up, so I became a boss at time management and budgeting. During free time at school, I would sometimes go to the library to do additional research. At home, I would read and prepare assignments while she slept at night. I mastered completing projects at least a week before the deadlines because I couldn’t risk not being able to submit my work in the event she woke up one morning sick.” The upshot of this, besides her first class honours degree (oh yes!) is the incredibly close relationship she and her daughter share. “In Jamaica, I kept drilling in her ‘we only have each other to depend on, so we have to be totally honest, even if we must own up to doing something wrong.’ Being alone and together for so long, Kaiowa and I matured together. We played, we read, we even cried together when we missed home,” Shamkoe shares. Looking back now on her experience, her advice for other young mothers trying to do it all, is flavoured with her characteristic determination. “Pregnancy and motherhood should improve who you are as a person... Having children is never an excuse for not achieving your goals - in fact, this should motivate you even more.”
Tickled Pink CHARITY CHICKS from Page 17 inspiring woman,” effused Kelly. That first Tickled Pink gave rise to the Charity Chicks as Tracey, Kelly and Maddy, bonded by their “shared faith in the impact Charity Chicks can have within our community” decided to make it official and became registered charity #845. Since then they have raised funds for causes such as Camp Pride – a summer camp for diabetic children and connected their members with volunteer opportunities from The Story Club, Clean Up Barbados and the Globeathon Walk to End Women’s Cancers, among others. And while both their charitable efforts and glamorous charitable events tend to be female-focused, they are ably and amply supported by a dedicated corps of male volunteers, dubbed the Men In Pink. The Men in Pink team includes the males in their lives, both older and younger. “One of my best moments was the day my older son came into the kitchen to ask me when he would be eligible to be a Man in Pink… the fact that he wanted to participate more was the essence of what we’re trying to achieve. He’s our very first Teen in Pink!” declared Maddy. With five children between the three of them, they understand intimately how the tricky work-life balance can make it challenging to dedicate time to a cause. This is why one of their goals is “helping others discover how best to give
Tickled Pink 2013 guests in a poseoff in the fun photo booth. back to their community in their own way” by connecting members with a range of charitable events, volunteer opportunities and donation opportunities. “What works for some doesn’t work for all, but there is something every one of us can do,” affirmed Tracey. Read more about the Charity Chicks’ work and some of their 2014 plans in an extensive interview on our website www.islandistas.com.
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