Poverty

It is estimated that 1.3 billion people globally, live on less that 1 US dollar a day.  Developing countries are therefore working to create their own national plan to promote poverty eradication strategies based on local needs and priorities.

 

Through the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) the world is addressing the many dimensions of human development, including halving by 2015 the proportion of people living in extreme poverty.

The Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago has placed significant emphasis on expanding the range of social services available to the vulnerable and making the delivery process more efficient.

UNDP is assisting in the achievement of this goal by providing support in the critical areas of health and education. Utilizing the services on United Nations Volunteer programme, these projects are improving health care delivery and outreach to the vulnerable and improving educational planning capacity in the Ministry of Education to ensure achievements of MDG and Vision 2020 targets.


Measuring Vision 2020 and MDG goal attainment are important for national planning. Using UNDP financing and technical assistance, the Government is addressing the weak capacity for data collection, monitoring and evaluation. The outputs from this initiative will be a comprehensive searchable socio-economic database and national capacity for monitoring, evaluating and reporting on national goal attainment.


UNDP’s poverty programme in Trinidad and Tobago has focused on informing policy development and programming delivered through a mixture of policy advice, advocacy and downstream initiatives.

UNDP’s poverty portfolio in Trinidad and Tobago is concentrated in the following areas:

UNDP Project Title: National Socio-Economic Database

UNDP Project number:

Focus Area: Poverty Eradication

 00049033

Service Line:

Dates: 2006-2008

Status: Ongoing

Location: Trinidad and Tobago

Implementing Partner: Ministry of Planning and Development

Financial Information

Source of Funds:

Government

 

UNDP

 

Third-Party

 

Budget:

$330,000

Expenditure to date:

 

 

 

Brief Description: The need for a National Socio-Economic Database is being addressed with this project. Such a facility will improve the country's capacity to mange and access reliable gender disaggregated data to facilitate evidence based planning and inform the allocation of budgetary resources.

Project Document

Contact:

 

UNDP Project Title: Support to the Ministry of Health - UNV Doctors

UNDP Project number:

Focus Area: Poverty Eradication

 00015001

Service Line:

Dates: 2003-2006-2009

Status: Ongoing

Location: Trinidad and Tobago

Implementing Partner: Ministry of Health

Financial Information

Source of Funds:

Government

 

UNDP

 

Third-Party

 

Budget:

$12,313,236.00

Expenditure to date:

$11,945,985.00

Brief Description: UNDP provided approximately one hundred UN Volunteer doctors to fill an urgent gap in the health care system in Trinidad and Tobago.   This project has resulted in increased healthcare delivery in all national hospitals to ensure reduced surgical waiting time, particularly in ophthalmology.  While this project was scheduled to end in 2006, it has been extended to the year 2009.

Project Document

Contact:

 

UNDP Project Title: Micro Credit

UNDP Project number:

Focus Area: Poverty

 00014978

Service Line: 1.3: Local Poverty Initiatives, including microfinance

Dates: 2000 -

Status: Ongoing

Location: Trinidad and Tobago

Implementing Partner: Ministry of Social Development

Financial Information

Source of Funds:

Government

 

UNDP

 

Third-Party

 

Budget:

$161,555.53

Expenditure to date:

$342,000.00

Brief Description:  This project has established seven community-led Micro Credit Facilities in six of the fourteen regional districts in Trinidad and Tobago.  The project aims to improve the living standards of economically vulnerable groups through community empowerment and entrepreneurial development.  It provides on-lending funds and business development support services to facilitate direct community involvement in entrepreneurial development and the promotion of sustainable livelihood opportunities at the community level as a strategy to reduce poverty.   Micro Credit loan facilities are currently in operation in the following areas:  Roxborough, Tobago; La Seiva , Maracas/St Joseph; Gonzales, Belmont;  Mayaro ;  Four Roads/Tamana;  Cunjal Road; and Ste. Madeleine.  This project was initiated in 2000 and has been extended annually.

Project Document

Contact:

 

UNDP Project Title: United Nations Development Programme/Small Grants Programme (UNDP/SGP) in Trinidad and Tobago

UNDP Project number:

Focus Area: Poverty

 00015010

Service Line:

Dates:2004-2011

Status: Ongoing

Location: Trinidad and Tobago
Implementing Partner:
Financial Information
Source of Funds:
Government  $124,570.00
UNDP  $22,000.00
Third-Party  $350,000.00

 

Budget: $577,005.00
Expenditure to date: $347,000
Brief Description: The UNDP is committed to supporting sustainable development in Trinidad and Tobago.  Recognizing that education and capacity-building  are critical elements to sustainable development through poverty reduction, UNDP seeks to expand its support to civil society through the expansion of its existing Global Environment Facility/Small Grants Programme (GEF/SGP) to a UNDP Small Grants Programme (UNDP/SGP).  This will facilitate a broadening of the vision of the present SGP to include other interest groups and in areas relevant to poverty reduction, but outside of the traditional GEF Focal Areas.  Specifically, the expanded SGP will maintain its focus on environmental concerns but will also embrace other issues that relate to the promotion of healthy family lifestyles.  Issues which impact on the basic societal unit – the family, would be aligned to UNDP’s practice areas of Poverty and Social Equity, HIV/AIDS, Environment and Energy, and Democratic Governance.
Project Document
Contact:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Contact:

Mrs. Sandra Baptiste Caruth
Programme Specialist
sandra.baptiste-caruth@undp.org.tt