In 2022, I was honored to receive the Governor General’s Achievement Award for Exemplary Service, and while the moment was humbling, it felt like the natural recognition of a journey that began in the hills of Jeffrey Town, St. Mary.
I was raised by my great-grandmother, Ms. Nina Pinnock, a woman whose quiet strength and deep generosity left a permanent mark on me. She didn’t have much, but she always believed in sharing what she had with those who had less. That core value shaped who I became—and today, it still fuels my passion for empowering women and girls through the HerFlow Foundation.
My own reproductive health journey was painful and isolating. For years, I silently battled heavy, painful periods, chalking it up to something all women had to endure. It wasn’t until I was diagnosed with Massive Uterine Fibroids that I began to seek real answers. Surgery was the recommended route, but fear pushed me to explore a different path.
For three months, I committed to radically changing my diet and lifestyle—not knowing what to expect. The results changed everything:
✨ I lost over 70 pounds
✨ My chronic pain disappeared
✨ My energy skyrocketed
✨ I avoided surgery entirely
That experience became the blueprint for my first book, I Changed My Diet and Changed My Life, and sparked a deeper calling. I knew I couldn’t keep this knowledge—or this fire—to myself.
In 2016, I founded the HerFlow Foundation and declared October 24 as Period Awareness Day in Jamaica. I wanted to confront the stigma surrounding menstruation head-on and create a movement grounded in education, mentorship, and access.
The statistics spoke volumes:
📊 44% of Jamaican schoolgirls cannot afford menstrual products.
That number broke my heart—and pushed me into action. Under my leadership, HerFlow has since donated over four million menstrual products across Jamaica. We’ve served schools, state homes, prisons, community organizations, and individual women in need.
The early days weren’t easy. Many organizations turned us away, afraid to be associated with “taboo” topics like periods. But I didn’t stop. I knocked on more doors. I made more calls. And slowly, doors began to open. Today, HerFlow is recognized and supported by leaders, educators, and changemakers across the island.
Receiving the Governor General’s Achievement Award was more than a personal honor—it was a win for every girl who’s ever been ashamed of her period, every woman who’s battled silently with reproductive issues, and every person who believes that dignity is a right, not a privilege.
This is just the beginning. We’re still fighting. We’re still flowing. And we’re not stopping until every Jamaican girl and woman can manage her period with dignity, pride, and power.
