NGOs receive free technical training in workshops from OPM

Several NGOs received free technical training at a two-day workshop in Port of Spain, and Minister in the Office of the Prime (OPM) Minister Ayanna Webster-Roy emphasised the importance of a strong, well-resourced civil society sector for the nation’s growth and development.

A media statement from the OPM on November 5 quoted her as saying, “We are well aware of the unquestionable need for the nation and the government to have a strong, vibrant, well-resourced civil society sector to improve the welfare of all citizens.”

Webster-Roy also holds the portfolios for Gender and Child Affairs, the National AIDS Co-ordinating Committee, and Central Administrative Services Tobago (CAST).

The Capacity-Building Workshop for Civil Society Organisations took place on November 4 and 5 at the Old Fire Station Building in Port of Spain.

Webster-Roy reiterated the government’s commitment to collaborating with civil society organisations to attain the best possible outcomes for all men, women, boys, and girls in the country.

The workshop, which was also hosted in Tobago, provided technical support to strengthen NGOs’ current abilities and facilitate the development of new skills.

The workshop in Trinidad brought together representatives from gender and child-focused non-governmental, faith-based and community-based organisations.

The goal was to equip participants with the knowledge necessary for business formalisation, effective project management and successful grant proposal writing techniques.

On the first day of the workshop, Kriel Toby, business advisor at NEDCO, provided NGOs with valuable tips to assist them in formalising their operations and accessing NEDCO’s suite of services to improve their business administration.

Besides the technical training, the second day featured a presentation of the In the Know, On the Go series on child-abuse awareness and prevention, with the aim of expanding its rollout to more communities nationwide.

“As development partners, Gender and Child Affairs will introduce the Survivors Transformation and Empowerment Programme (STEP) and the one-off grant to representatives from the various civil society organisations on day two of the workshop,” the statement said.

“Organisations are invited to utilise these funding opportunities to implement initiatives that advance gender equality, address gender-based and domestic violence, and improve childcare and protection."

Sanjay Singh, deputy permanent secretary in the OPM, highlighted the need for all sectors of society to invest in structures, policies, and services that reduce vulnerabilities and address systemic inequality to build a more stable and safer society.