150 locals, migrants take part in integration day

Around 150 locals and migrants participated in a community day at the Santos Recreation Ground and Cricket Field, Apping St, Longdenville on April 1.

The activity was organised by the International Organization for Migrants (IOM) through the NGOs Women Owned Media & Education Network (WOMEN) and La Casita.

Lucia Cabrera-Jones, head and co-founder of WOMEN, told Newsday the goal is to achieve integration.

The event was part of the Flourish project carried out by WOMEN. “It is a project of several parts, but all with the same mission: to integrate migrants into local society with the support of host communities.”

The community day was in addition to the hydroponics and sewing workshops in which locals and migrants, men and women, have participated in recent weeks.

“It is a great job the IOM has been doing to ensure locals and migrants integrate, support each other and work as a team to advance as a proper society. Flourish is one of the many programmes are in process and have attracted the positive attention of the communities.”

Traditional games played by four teams, live music, piñatas and prize-giving were highlights of the day.

Andreina Briceño Ventura-Brown, director of La Casita, said her work team joined the activity as part of the IOM support group.

“It is important these types of activities continue to be carried out so the migrant community and the locals know each other, understand their objectives and can then be part of the same sister community. “We carried out Women’s Day in Arima and now WOMEN do it in Longdenville. We will continue to do it in other areas of TT.”