Soroptimist International Esperance is thrilled to be one of the three clubs chosen to represent its Federation (SIGBI) and featured by Soroptimist International to celebrate International Day of the Girl Child.
SI Esperance, in partnership with the Trinidad & Tobago Association of Energy Engineers, was awarded $100,000TT after a rigorous selection process among hundreds of participants. The Club’s proposal was submitted to The Digicel Foundation & Shell Trinidad Ltd EPIC (Extraordinary Projects Impacting Communities) programme. Through the Club’s Sustainable Harvest Programme at ASJA Girls College, Barrackpore, it aimed to educate, empower and enable the girls to develop and manage a hydroponics farm.
SI Club Esperance has supported ASJA Girls’ College through several prior projects and has researched its needs. The College is located in a deprived, farming community and food security is critical. However, the area is prone to flooding, so to mitigate against the huge loss of crops, introducing hydroponics was seen as a viable alternative.
The Club aimed to develop a working farm utilising solar power with a mix of hydroponics and conventional agriculture.
The Club’s goals were:
- to transform how young women perceive agriculture and entrepreneurship
- to expose them to the same modern technology as their urban counterparts to develop equity
Goals were specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-related, ensuring that the Club’s benefactors were included in every step of the process.
SI Club Esperance developed and submitted a proposal to the Digicel Foundation & Shell Trinidad Ltd. Competition for the grant was fierce and many-layered, requiring a great deal of paperwork and presentations before the Club was awarded $100,000. SI Club Esperance members worked with all the stakeholders to execute the project within time and budget.
The project included site preparation, crop selection, garden development and management, harvesting and sales, all of which required Club involvement. The solar panels used to power the pumps of the hydroponics system were procured and the systems were installed by experts who offered training, with hands-on participation by the girls. The girls were involved in the physical set-up, planting and maintenance of crops.
The girls now see agriculture as a viable career option and have an improved understanding of its entrepreneurial benefits. The garden which once yielded 48 lettuces and kale now yields some 500 crops, comprising a variety of six crops. Sales of produce have increased from $115 to $1000.
Interest and enrolment in agriculture has doubled. Students preparing for exams can conduct improved experiments and produce enhanced research for School-Based Assessment submissions. Staff and students have received the requisite training to operate and maintain the system which the community is keen to replicate. SI Club Esperance created an awareness of new techniques; advocated for improved systems; and acted to educate, empower and enable students and the community to aspire to a better future.
This project has directly impacted 458 girls and 27 staff members. However, the awareness created and educational reach has extended to its immediate community and nationwide. There was excellent coverage on TV, in newspapers and on the Club’s Facebook Page. The videos of the project were impactful, and generated great interest in the subject.
