Festival Queen Danielle Cox launches initiative to empower teenage mothers

KINGSTON, Jamaica — After capturing the Miss Kingston and St Andrew Festival Queen 2026 title and finishing third in the national competition, Danielle Cox is now turning her attention to empowering teenage mothers through the official launch of her community initiative, The Refinery.

The 23-year-old media and communications professional officially launched the project, dubbed The Refinery: Becoming, Not Broken, on Friday at the Louise Bennett Garden Theatre in Kingston, with the aim of providing young mothers with mentorship, practical skills and opportunities for personal development.

For Cox, the initiative represents more than a community project. It is a deeply personal undertaking inspired by the experiences of her biological mother, Tenuke Doyley, who became pregnant at 16 and was unable to pursue her own dream of entering the Festival Queen competition.