DIGICEL FOUNDATION- TABITHA’S HOME PROVIDES A VERSATILE, SAFE SPACE FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN TOBAGO

The Honourable Ayanna Webster-Roy, Member of Parliament for Tobago East and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister holding the portfolios for Gender and Child Affairs, Ecclesiastical Affairs and Central Administrative Services, Tobago (Left) presents Rowena Pitt, President of Tabitha’s Home for Women & Children, with several Basic Dignity Kits from UNFPA, stocked with essential items for women fleeing domestic violence situations.

FRIDAY DECEMBER 30, 2022: PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO- As part of its EPIC 2022 initiative, the Digicel Foundation partnered with Tabitha’s Home for Women and Children to launch a newly renovated safe space in Tobago. The building will serve as a transitional housing facility offering both short-term emergency shelter and subsidised, long-term, self-contained housing units for women and children who are survivors of gender-based violence.

Tabitha’s Home is a faith-based, non-profit organisation seeking to help women rebuild their lives after suffering any form of abuse or exploitation. The organisation received a Digicel Foundation EPIC grant of TT$100,000 to renovate a building that was donated to Tabitha’s Home by a good Samaritan whom they fondly call “the modern day Tabitha”. The need for this home in Tobago is particularly critical, as apart from Government assistance, there are no safe houses or organisations offering this kind of step-down, long-term transitional housing that the newly renovated facilities at Tabitha’s Home will provide.

President of Tabitha’s Home for Women and Children Rowena Pitt remarked with gratitude, “We give thanks to God for bringing us this far and we are especially thankful for the support we have received from the Digicel Foundation and from all our donors and supporters.”

The Digicel Foundation funding was used to complete a counselling room, office space and a meeting area. Subsequent project phases will include additional housing units, a day care and a micro enterprise hub that will include a thrift store and a space where women can sell their products which will allow for the development of small business enterprises.

“Tabitha’s Home for Women and Children was already doing amazing work prior to this renovation, hosting food pantries and clothing drives to name just a few examples. This building will now provide a well-equipped ‘home’ for all such activities, and makes it possible to host even more support services in the future,” shared Georgina Peterkin, Digicel Foundation Board Director at the launch event for Tabitha’s Home for Women and Children on 15 December.

Also at the launch event, the Honourable Ayanna Webster-Roy, Member of Parliament for Tobago East and Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister holding the portfolios for Gender and Child Affairs, Ecclesiastical Affairs and Central Administrative Services, presented Tabitha’s Home with several Basic Dignity Kits from UNFPA. These bags are emergency kits containing toiletries such as toothpaste, sanitary napkins and other essentials for women fleeing domestic violence situations.

ENDS

(L-R) President of Tabitha’s Home for Women and Children Rowena Pitt and Treasurer Donna Grant Moore share a light moment at the Home’s launch event on 15 December.

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

Georgina Peterkin, Digicel Foundation Board Director, addresses visitors from the podium during the launch of the newly renovated building for Tabitha’s Home for Women and Children in Tobago.