Trinidad and Tobago

Community Outreach and Response Grants

On March 21st 2006 the Young Men's Christian Association of Trinidad and Tobago was awarded a grant in the sum 138,000 from the Community Outreach and Response Initiative for their proposal Mentoring: Promotion Peace and Positivity Among Our Young Males.

The objectives of the project would be:

1. Reduce the incidence of male perpetrated violence amongst male youth throughout Trinidad.
2. Address male marginalization and underachievement
3. Examine cultural influences in constructing masculinity
4. Develop gender sensitivity

The expected output is at least 500 young males between 13-19 from 20 different cohorts would have developed alternative non-0violent ways of copying with life.

 

UNDP Resident Representative Dr. Inyang Ebong- Harstrup (Ph.d) and YMCA Director of Youth Outreach Department Svenn Grant

On February 3rd 2006 the Toco Foundation received a grant from the Community Outreach and Response Initiative valued at 150,000 for their proposal entitled In-School Peer Education Intervention on HIV/AIDS in Communities of North Eastern Region of Trinidad.

This project has been guided in its development both based on the lessons learnt of the TYSP and in support of the National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS in Trinidad and Tobago (NSP).  Priority Area 1 (Prevention) of the NSP, Strategic Objective 2 is “to promote healthy sexual attitudes, behavior and practices among vulnerable high-risk populations”.  Within the context of the NSP, in-school youth have been specifically identified as a target group.   In light of this the main objective of the In School Peer Education Intervention on HIV/AIDS in Communities of North Eastern Region of Trinidad is to :“Reduce the vulnerability and risk behavior among In School Youth in the County of St. David”

 

UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Claudio Providas and Toco Foundation Project Director Michael Alls.

The strategies that will be employed to obtain this objective are namely:

-   Introduction of behavior change interventions targeted at youth in schools

-  Implementation of a comprehensive Peer Education and Advocacy Programme

Arts in Action also received a grant in the sum of 140,000 for their proposal DRAMATHICS.

DRAMATHICS is an Arts-in-Action initiative that proposes a Drama/Theatre and Integrated-Arts approach to Mathematics Education in Primary Schools. This project will support the initiatives of the Ministry of Education as it will offer to Primary Schools new and dynamic approaches to teaching Mathematics. Thus, the DRAMATHICS pilot project, through its Drama/Theatre and Integrated-Arts in Mathematics Education methodology, will seek to:

·   Enhance the teaching of Mathematics by equipping teachers with DRAMATHICS techniques that can be used to support or supplement existing methods of Mathematics Curricula delivery;

·   Increase students’ appreciation for Mathematics, by way of exciting students’ interest in the subject; and

Increase stakeholder appreciation and support for the Drama/Theatre and Integrated-Arts in Mathematics Education concept, thereby stimulating greater interest and utility for DRAMATHICS method in Mathematics education.   

Specifically this project would:

·   Engage 250 students from this age group (i.e. Infants 1 & 2 and Standard 1) from 10 schools in Trinidad and Tobago (25 students per school) in workshops that utilize the DRAMATHICS methodology in the teaching of Geometry and Measurement, as per the Primary Schools’ Mathematics Syllabus;

·   Provide training for a group of 50 teachers (representing 5 per school from the 10 schools selected) in DRAMATHICS teaching techniques; and

·  Engage these teachers in teaching practice, which employs the DRAMATHICS techniques; this is done so as to extend the lessons delivered by Arts-in-Action in the student workshops, as well as, support and complement these teachers’ delivery of other areas of the Mathematics syllabus.

 

  UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Claudio Providas and Administrative Director of Arts in Action Marvin George

 

The Trinidad and Tobago Coalition Against Domestic

Violence was awarded 149,980 for their proposal

 SEAN Link.

The objective of the SEAN Link Project is to increase public awareness of and reduce the potential for elder abuse and neglect and to foster attitudes of respect and support for elders through:

 

1)          Intergenerational links to improve contact and understanding between the community and elders in residential care facilities;

2)          Facilitating elders in conducting life reviews through use of the creative arts;

3)          A mentoring programme to facilitate the transmission of positive values by older persons to participating students.

 

UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Claudio Providas and The Trinidad and Tobago Coalition Against Domestic Violence CEO Diana Mahabir Wyatt

 

Through the project, particularly the showcase and presentation of artifacts and DVD, the community will gain an improved perception of older persons and of elder care facilities as friendlier and more easily accessible places.  Increased social equity will result from elders having been given the opportunity to participate in social and cultural activities that are especially valuable to persons in late adulthood.  A format would have been developed for producing life stories/reviews which could be replicated on an individual basis.

At the end of the programme, it is expected that:

• Teachers will have additional tools to stimulate student interest in Mathematics
• A forum will be provided for different students to gauge the subject’s modules differently.

On November 23rd 2005 Birdsong Steel Orchestra received a grant in the amount of 151,170 from the United Nations Development Programme's Small Grants Programme- Community Outreach and Response Initiative for their proposal "Empowering the Next Generation of Steel Pan Musicians Music Literacy".

The objective of this project is to promote functional musical literacy among the youth of Tunapuna and its environs through a structured training programme which uses the steelpan as a first instrument. 

The target group is the youth in the 10-18 age group in Tunapuna and its environs.  Participants will be recruited from within the band’s membership and the primary and secondary schools in the Tunapuna/Curepe area.  At least 10 places are being reserved from participants from the St. Mary’s Children’s Home. 

UNDP Deputy Resident Representative Claudio Providas and Assistant Manager Clement Imbert of Birdsong

 

This is a capacity building project, which addresses the poverty and social equity focal area of the UNDP.  The programme takes a pre-emptive approach to poverty alleviation with a strong focus on providing participants with the basis for strengthening their employable skills in a relatively non-traditional area.  It incorporates a strong focus on building self-confidence, developing time and personal management skills and promoting positive interaction among young persons from diverse social and educational backgrounds.   In order to specifically address career development possibilities, the programme will include opportunities for participants to interact with people who currently employed in the steelband movement and career guidance discussions.  These aspects of the programme should be particularly beneficial to participants from vulnerable groups.

At the end of the programme, it is expected that participants will have acquired:

a) a basic understanding and appreciation of history and development of the steel pan and the steel band movement;

b) the ability to play the steel pan and a second musical instrument; and

c) a basic understanding of music theory as measured by certification obtained from the Royal School of Music. 

 

On November 23rd 2005 the Adult Literacy Tutors Association of Trinidad and Tobago also received a grant of as well, of 109, 525 from the Community OUtreach and Response Initiative for their proposal Rural Literacy Improvement Programme- Valencia to Toco.

The primary objective of this project is to provide free and effective literacy instruction to persons over 16 in the targeted communities from Valencia to Toco in order to raise the literacy levels in these areas. The proposed activities seek to recruit tutors from the communities and to train them at a venue that is convenient to them and to establish literacy classes within the communities so that the primary objective can be achieved.

 

At the end of the programme, it is expected that participants will have acquired:

1.        The necessary basic literacy skills required for them to access jobs and/or further training for the job market. The income earning potential of the beneficiaries should improve as a result of the training received.

2.        A pool of literary tutors.

3.        The children of the primary beneficiaries of this programme will receive better support from their parents resulting in improved academic achievement.

 

UNDP Deputy Resident Representative congratulates Chief Executive Officer of the Adult Literacy Tutors Association Paula Lucie Smith

The National Centre for Persons with Disabilities were also awarded a grant in the sum of 146, 317.33 for their proposal Re-engineering and Development of Orthopaedic Aids.

The objectives of the project is  to upgrade and expand the orthopaedic unit. To provide standardized quality disability aids namely metal crutches, metal walkers, metal walking stick, bathroom and toilet accessories and orthopaedic/surgical footwear. To provide an affordable and reliable after sale service.To train 10 –15 persons and develop a cadre equipped to maintain the existence of the specialized skills and to assist in the development of a viable business venture.

 

UNDP Resident Representative Claudio Providas and the CEO of The National Centre for Persons with Disabilities Beverly Beckles

 

 At the end of the programme, the following outputs are expected:

v         Upgrade of the orthopaedic unit thus building capacity for training and production.

v         Reliable an available low-cost disability aids

v         Cadre of persons equipped to maintain the existence of the specialized skills and to assist in the development of a viable business venture

v         Marketing materials in the form of brochure and video

v         Improvement in the quality of life of disabled persons and by extension a level of independence