ARIPO YOUNGSTERS LAUNCH ‘BUNNY BUILDERS’ BUSINESS
Certified Bunny Builders! Young residents of the Heights of Aripo who participated in the launch of a sustainable rabbit-rearing business venture this month proudly display their certificates with members of the One Seed for Change team.
THURSDAY 11 APRIL 2024, PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO – Young residents of the Heights of Aripo have launched a sustainable business venture in rabbit-rearing. Calling themselves the ‘Bunny Builders’, the children will care for and rear rabbits to sell, and they have plans to put their earnings towards their education costs.
This business plan is just one of the positive outcomes of The One Seed for Change ‘Feed to Fork’ initiative that introduced residents of the Heights of Guanapo and Heights of Aripo to employment opportunities in rabbitry. Part of the Extraordinary Projects Impacting Communities (EPIC) programme, the Digicel Foundation in partnership with Shell Trinidad and Tobago donated TT$100,000 to the NGO One Seed for Change to facilitate the training programmes in both communities.
Over eight weeks ending in March 2024, the participants learnt how to make pellet feed from grasses, how to care for the animals, and how to create a range of value-added products in the community.
(Right) The president of One Seed for Change Lorraine Waldropt Fergusson gives these bunny builders words of encouragement during the ‘Feed to Fork’ initiative.
“In Heights of Aripo, the children in the community didn’t want to slaughter the rabbits, so we started a youth club teaching sales and business skills to support agriculture, and that’s how Bunny Builders was born,” shared Lorraine Waldropt Fergusson, President of One Seed for Change. “In Heights of Guanapo, we taught rabbit production, including slaughtering and making value-added products such as rabbit burgers and gyros, in the community.”
Cindyann Currency, Head of Operations at the Digicel Foundation said, “Together with our partner Shell Trinidad and Tobago, this year’s EPIC programme focused on community projects in the areas of Agriculture, the Environment, and Renewable Energy. It is a true joy and a welcome bonus to see young entrepreneurs like the Bunny Builders inspired to explore a future in sustainable farming through this community initiative. We look forward to seeing their business grow!”
Doing what they love best! These two bunny builders care for this little bunny as their training on the caring and rearing of rabbits come to an end.
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About Digicel
As a Digital Operator, Digicel is in the business of delivering powerful digital experiences 1440 minutes of each day to customers – that’s every minute, all day, every day.
Through its world-class LTE and fibre networks, together with its suite of eight apps spanning sports (SportsMax), music (D’Music), news (Loop), local radio and podcasts (GoLoud), TV streaming, (PlayGo) enhanced messaging and marketplaces (BiP), cloud storage (Billo) and self-care (MyDigicel app), Digicel is the only operator in its markets that can deliver the complete digital experience.
Serving consumer and business customers in 32 markets in the Caribbean, Central America, and Pacific with investments of over US$7 billion and a commitment to communities in Haiti, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea, and Trinidad & Tobago, the Digicel Foundation has contributed to positive outcomes for over three million people to date.
With its Better Together brand, Digicel is promising “simply more” to its customers and communities as the company’s 7,000 employees worldwide work together to make this pledge a powerful reality day in, day out.
For more, visit www.digicelgroup.com
About Shell Trinidad and Tobago
Shell has been in Trinidad and Tobago for over 100 years and has played a major role in the development of its oil and gas industry. With operations in offshore and onshore blocks (both operated and non-operated) as well as a majority shareholding in Atlantic LNG, the sixth largest liquefaction facility in the world, Shell Trinidad and Tobago delivers an integrated gas operation to supply the petrochemical market and Atlantic LNG.
Shell Trinidad and Tobago aims to create measurable, positive social impact at the community and national level, and contribute to the achievement of national priorities, through increasing access to education, skills and economic opportunities and improving access to energy.
Our social investment strategy seeks to contribute to economic diversification and livelihood development through Science, Technology, Research, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STREAM) education, community skills and enterprise development, and community development.