'Tabanca' helping to empower women

RAISING money for a good cause was never so enjoyable as the Soroptimist San Fernando premier fund-raising luncheon held at Achievors Banquet Hall, La Romaine, on September 22.

Members of the NGO which seeks to empower women and girls, embraced the theme, Trini Tabanca, and cast aside their starchy demeanour to get down with parang band Dynamics, panman Joshua Regrello who led them, along with San Fernando mayor Robert Parris, in doing the electric slide, all the while posing for pictures while intermingling with traditional mas characters who formed part of the landscape.

The theme, coming two days before Republic Day 48th anniversary celebration, sought to incorporate all things local what one would miss were they to "break up" with Trinidad and Tobago.

Hence the emphasis on "tabanca," president of the club Leigh-Anne Koylass-Shand explained to the Newsday.

“In choosing this particular event so close to Republic Day, while incorporating one of our core values which is love for country, we felt it was a good time to express that. Embracing everything we love about Trinidad and Tobago and what we would miss if we should break up with Trinidad (and Tobago).”

The decision was made to bring all the elements one would be heartbroken about and include them in the celebration.

Having as one of their members, Crissy Poudre of the Poudre family mas band, it was not difficult to enlist the services of Kaisocah Moko Jumbies to provide moko jumbies outfitted in red, white and black costumes, a pan man, and a parang band which fired up the Christmas spirit.

Everything from the traditional characters, red, white and black colour scheme, the entertainment, food, which included desserts such as sweet bread pudding served with a milky alcoholic sauce, tamarind ball, barfi, kurma, pawpaw balls and other local delights, the décor, tablescape which incorporated sports, Olympic medallists, the pan, national birds and flowers, and Carnival masks, all formed part of the ambience.

Even questions to win prizes were locally themed.

“We loved how the patrons embraced the theme and made the outcome wonderful,” Koylass-Shand explained.

The real cause, however, empowering women and girls was not lost as patrons, who came out in large numbers, participated in a raffle and the sale of art pieces –all towards this cause.

In the club’s 62-year history, Soroptimists have been making an impact on women and girls, encouraging them to get involved in STEM (science, technology engineering and mathematics).

Other charitable causes are also supported from the funds they raise including, the Shangri La Home for the Elderly; providing books for 15 preschools on World Reading Day; as well as training to empower women to become employable.

This year, proceeds from this event would go to assisting St Joseph’s Convent, San Fernando, renovate its biology laboratory, powered by solar energy.

Koylass-Shand, a past student of SJCC, said funds raised would not cover the entire cost and they would be going to corporate TT for donations.

The fully solar-powered lab on its own, she said, will cost approximately $167,000. Outfitting it with microscopes would add another $100,000, plus cabinetry would also amount to similar figures.

San Fernando mayor Robert Parris, who attended the event, applauded the "sisterhood of the philanthropic Soroptimist," for the work they have been doing, especially at San Fernando East Secondary School which is in his electoral district of Pleasantville.

Paris said civil society organisations such as Soroptimist, is the basis of the success and development of any country.

“I could not have been successful as a politician without the service of civil society. Any politician who thinks they can be successful without the support of groups like the Soroptimist, they just don’t understand the job at hand.”