FOCUSING ON FOOD SECURITY
The Brazil Farmers’ Village Group review the area where they plan to develop an agro-processing unit for farmers after winning the Digicel Foundation and Shell’s 2023 EPIC Grant.
FRIDAY 17 NOVEMBER, 2023: PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO – More than half of the ten ‘Extraordinary Projects Impacting Communities’ (EPIC) grants awarded this year went to community agriculture projects. This year’s EPIC applications suggest that NGOs and communities across the country are concerned about national food security and are finding collaborative ways to boost the agriculture industry.
The Digicel Foundation in partnership with Shell Trinidad and Tobago invested one million dollars into the 2023 EPIC programme. Ten grants of $100,000 each have been awarded to sustainable community projects across three categories: agriculture, the environment and renewable energy.
Members of the organisation One Seed for Change show off their winning smiles after receiving an EPIC grant for a unique agriculture project in the Heights of Guanapo and Aripo.
In the agriculture category, there were six grant winners: The Brazil Farmers’ Village Group; The Deltones Institute of Music and Steel Drums; The Barataria Community Council; One Seed for Change; Canaan Bon Accord Sports Club; and CARDI.
Brazil Farmers’ Village Group President Randall Patterson shared, “This is an exciting time for all the farmers and residents of Brazil. This project will generate employment and will power the engine room of agriculture in the community.”
Akinola Sennon, Executive Director of the Deltones Institution of Music and Steel Drums, at the site of the organisation’s Railway Pizza initiative.
All of the organisations will implement a sustainable agriculture project in their communities within the next three months. The projects address a range of critical needs in small-scale farming, from creating sustainable animal-rearing systems and installing hydroponics to piloting new green technology to protect farmers’ crops from pests.
In addition to grant funding, each of these community groups received training and support from Shell Trinidad and Tobago on how to develop monitoring and evaluation frameworks. This will help the groups to set key performance indicators and evaluate their output along the way.
Members of the Barataria Community Council sign the Digicel Foundation and Shell’s 2023 EPIC Programme contract.
This year’s monumental million-dollar investment in the EPIC programme underscores the Digicel Foundation's unwavering commitment to partnerships that create sustainable change and foster innovation within the communities of Trinidad and Tobago. Founded in 2016, The Foundation’s EPIC programme has thus far supported 140 community projects through a total investment TT$6.2 million.
ENDS
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.