FLOOD response and mitigation activities in Trinidad and Tobago got a big boost recently after the Cable and Wireless Charitable Foundation (CWCF) and FLOW partnered with the United Way of Trinidad and Tobago to donate US$100,000 to support a broad range of response programmes across the island.

The partnership will focus on rebuilding activities that specifically benefit vulnerable groups as well as a longer-term awareness programme to mitigate the impact of natural hazards.

Speaking on the importance of this partnership and how his company responded to the recent floods, FLOW’s Country Manager Ian Serrao said, “Immediately after the flood, FLOW Trinidad initiated our disaster protocols to ensure our team members were safe and to ensure our customers would have access to critical communications services. We also activated our regional foundation to support the broader humanitarian needs that have arisen. After several investigations, site visits and consultations we made the decision to partner with United Way of Trinidad and Tobago (UWTT), as the umbrella organisation, to manage the donation, given their extensive expertise in this area.”

The latest donation to Trinidad and Tobago by the CWCF brings the total amount committed to rebuilding efforts across the region to more than US$1 million since the foundation was launched just over a year ago. More than $750,000 was earmarked to rebuild and re-equip educational facilities in Dominica, Anguilla, Turks and Caicos Islands. These long-term projects followed a donation of $100,000 to Shelterbox that helped address the immediate needs of those affected by the 2017 hurricanes across the region.