Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 06/Nov 10:37

Digicel Foundation awards grants to 6 PWD groups

SIX ORGANISATIONS, that are actively working to improve the lives of people with disabilities (PWD) in TT, received grant funding to further their initiatives. The cheques were presented to the organisations by the Digicel Foundation of TT in partnership with the UN Development Programme’s (UNDP) GEF Small Grants Programme at the Goodwill Industries in Port of Spain, on November 4. Forty-seven organisations applied for the grants of which 12 were short-listed. Six organisations were chosen from the shortlist to receive grants up to $90,000 to invest in their entrepreneurial and social projects, which are aimed to boost social and economic opportunities provided to PWDs. Penny Gomez, CEO of the Digicel Foundation TT, said the grant distribution and collaboration with the UNDP has been years in the making and it is a first for the Caribbean. She said the organisations will not be left on their own as help will be provided by Digicel through its Business Solutions Department and UNDP. Ugo Blanco, the resident representative of the UNDP in TT, said the donation is not charity but a representation of a global commitment to ensure PWDs are included in every stage of development. He said he hopes the selected projects break barriers preventing PWDs in TT, who make up a small fraction of the population, from being active participants in the country’s economic and social development. Tobago-based NGO Healing with Horses received the maximum donation of $90,000 alongside Kidspace Education Ltd, which is located in Port of Spain, in the trailblazer category. Also receiving grants in the trailblazer category were New Beginning Education Centre, which received $89,900, and Lady Hochoy South and $85,000 to invest in their chicken layer project. Rynelle Boyce, administrative director of Kidspace, expressed shock after winning the award. [caption id="attachment_1188741" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Joseph O'Brien, left, is presented with the Pioneer Grant by Ugo Blanco, representative of UN Development Programme multi-country office, at the Digicel Foundation and GEF Small Grants Programme grant distribution on November 4. - [/caption] She told Business Day the donation meant a lot to the organisation, which helps children with a wide range of disabilities including autism, Down syndrome and speech delays. Boyce said the six-year-old organisation works to provide these children with skills that can make them functional members of society. "We have gotten so many noes," she said. "We have been pushing for inclusion and helping the children to be in society and be seen as people that can contribute. "This yes was so refreshing and it will bolster us to continue doing what we are doing." Phillis Griffith, principal of the New Beginnings Educational Centre, was thankful for the donation saying it gave them hope after a rough two years of facing challenges to keep their doors open. Griffith said the money will be pumped into the school’s upcycling initiative, which takes waste products and turns it into products that are sold to gain additional funding apart from the government subvention. Griffith hopes more private sector organisations will support initiatives like the one at New New Beginnings and she invited companies to visit the school in Petit Valley to see firsthand the work they are doing. Joseph O’Brien received $60,000 in the pioneer category for persons with existing businesses. He plans to use the funding to increase the entertainment value of his online programme by investing in special effects, backgrounds and space to interview guests. Cashew Gardens Community Council in partnership with resident Cristy Bhagwandeen received the Challenger Award for people with a business idea that they developed in collaboration with a registered non-profit organisation. They received $30,000 to help Bhagwandeen, an 18-year-old resident who lives with a disability, expand her ice-cream business. Council representative Roslyn George said Bhagwandeen’s venture has the full support of residents, who have known her since she was a little girl.   The post Digicel Foundation awards grants to 6 PWD groups appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.