Soroptimists' projects help ASJA, Parvati Girls colleges

Soroptimist International Esperance in partnership with the Trinidad and Tobago Association of Energy Engineers, was awarded $100,000 through the Digicel Foundation and Shell Trinidad Ltd's EPIC programme.

Through a sustainable harvest programme at ASJA Girls’ College, Barrackpore, Soroptimists developed a working farm utilising solar power and hydroponics to transform how young women perceive agriculture and entrepreneurship, and to expose them to modern technology to develop equity, a media release said.

ASJA Girls’ College is located in a flood-prone community and introducing hydroponics was seen as a viable alternative.

The garden now yields some 500 crops of six varieties. Students preparing for exams can conduct improved experiments and produce enhanced research for School-Based Assessment submissions. Staff and students were trained to operate and maintain the system which the community is keen to replicate, the release said.

Soroptimist Esperance said it also addressed a critical issue impacting school attendance through its period positivity project.

ASJA Girls’ College is one of the three rural schools which shared $124,200 worth of pads over three years through the period positivity project. By providing of sanitary products to 150 girls, SI said that resulted in increased school attendance considerably during students' menses and the club considers this project a resounding success, the release said.

Shoppers and JTA Supermarket's staff also donated to the project. Pads were purchased in bulk at a discounted price using funds from well-wishers. Soroptimists also approached shoppers for donations and items were deposited into Soroptimist bins in JTA Supermarket .

JTA Supermarkets staff's donation of 204 packets of pads also helped the cause. Staff of the Digicel TT Foundation contributed $10,000 worth of feminine products.

Soroptimist members sorted and bagged pads for quarterly school distribution and provided lectures on menstruation, health and well-being.

Among its other projects SI Esperance has sponsored a Soroptimist School Club at Parvati Girls’ Hindu College which it said was a "first for the Caribbean." The charter ceremony at the school was performed by Christine Cole, president of SI of TT. Thirty students became members after completing a fundraiser, and a programme action project aligned with the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Their project titled Spread the Smile encouraged girls to seek help for their struggles and become advocates of change in the perception and discussion of mental health problems.