Coterie of Social Workers gets facelift for seniors

The Barataria branch of the women's organisation, Coterie of Social Workers, has had its spaces upgraded for the comfort of its seniors with the help of Digicel.

The recent upgrades included re-painting of inner and outer walls; purchase of fans, tables and chairs; and the installation of a sound system.

The Coterie of Social Worker team partnered with the Digicel Foundation to complete the $25,000 project as part of an Extraordinary Projects Impacting Communities (EPIC) initiative. It is intended for a relaxed space for seniors to gather and socialise, with the eventual lifting of covid19 restrictions.

Before the pandemic, the seniors’ activity centre was active with dance, music, and other developmental and interactive workshops.

Fund-raising became a particular challenge for the community group, where little priority could be spent on enriching the lives of the elderly.

Vice-chairman of The Coterie of Social Workers Cynthia Sifontis said it felt hopeless before the Digicel Foundation stepped in. She said, "This refurbishment was long overdue and sourcing funds to execute the project became very difficult for the organisation."

The Digicel Foundation launched EPIC in 2016. Over 31,000 people have since been impacted by its small-grants initiative. The Coterie of Social Workers has been among the 100 EPIC partners engaged in the foundation’s community engagement efforts.

The Coterie of Social Workers was established in 1921 to engage in empowering local women as well as providing benevolent assistance to the poor and disadvantaged.