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Ecuadorian inspirations for Trinidad & Tobago Red Cross 6 July 2006 |
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An exchange visit to Ecuador has brought the director general of the Trinidad & Tobago Red Cross Society (TTRCS) home inspired and with ideas for new Red Cross-activities. “Of course there are a lot of variances along with similarities, but I also feel we can learn a lot from the Ecuadorian Red Cross Society. They had a very vital energy and commitment, and I also saw a few projects which would work very well in Trinidad & Tobago,” said Lisa Lalsingh, TTRCS director general who has returned from a study visit to the Cruz Roja Ecuatoriana. The trip was part of an initiative set in motion by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies with the view to exchange ideas and inspire fellow Societies. The June 5-10 visit to Ecuador has done just that. Ms. Lalsingh mentioned, among other things, a garment manufacturing project funded by the Spanish Red Cross, in which women from poor communities are involved in producing uniforms for their staff and volunteers. How this works is through the purchase of these uniforms by the Eucadorian Rd Cross whereby both parties help each other and gain from the project financially and in skill development. “It is in a way, such a simple idea, and I can really see it working here in Trinidad & Tobago. We have several vulnerable communities that could benefit from such an initiative and I do hope that we can acquire both the will of volunteers in a community and funding to commence such an effort sometime in the near future.” Another inspiration has sprung from the visit to their water-sanitation project, carried out in cooperation with the government of Ecuador. “I was also amazed at the joint effort of the municipal government and the Ecuadorian Red Cross to assist communities experiencing difficulties in receiving pipe borne water. While I know that access to piped water is not a direct problem in Trinidad & Tobago, I feel that we as an organisation could assist our own governments in ways similar to this,” Ms. Lalsingh said. The “internal feel” of the TTRCS is likely to benefit from the study trip. “We are already looking to strengthen our relationship with our volunteers in all corners of the country, and the energy and enthusiasm I saw in the people in the Ecuadorian Red Cross convinced me how important it is to continue this work with teambuilding, a programme to bring our volunteers closer to the Society, and so on,” Ms Lalsingh ended. |
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