Mrs Shamelle Rice is the Founder and Director of Jabez House – a registered charity that has provided women sex workers with access to vocational training, job placement opportunities, mental health support, food, housing and basic needs assistance since 2012, in efforts to facilitate their transition process from the trade. The organisation has helped over 1,000 sex workers including Barbadians and non-nationals from a number of countries across the Caribbean.
Shamelle Rice
Since 90% of the women served by Jabez House are mothers, the charity also provides additional support through parenting classes and a special skills training for vulnerable girls.
The holder of a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Social Work, a Master’s in Gender and Development Studies (as well as currently pursuing her PhD in Gender and Development Studies), Shamelle now partners with a range of organisations, including government ministries and international entities.
For founding an organisation that has achieved transition outcomes of over 50% among a highly stigmatized population of vulnerable women, Shamelle Rice is our 2026 Laureate for Public & Civic Contributions.