Corporate Barbados and private individuals are being urged to contribute whatever they can to support children facing hardship, as two charities held a back-to-school drive on Thursday at Abed’s in Swan Street.
During the event, several students received uniforms and clothing. More than 450 children stand to benefit from the initiative.
Owner Eddie Abed was joined by Pippa Challis, trustee of the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust, and public relations officer of the Eden Lodge Charitable Trust, Billie-June Langdon.
Challis emphasised the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust’s commitment to directing funds where they are most needed, particularly in supporting vital programmes that encompass a range of essential services. These include an annual back-to-school initiative with a budget exceeding $100 000, she said, which ensures that disadvantaged children are well-prepared for their educational journey, regardless of their financial circumstances.
These collaborative efforts extend to providing nutritious meals through lunch programmes and implementing poverty alleviation initiatives aimed at addressing food security for children in need, she added.
Challis highlighted the ongoing challenges faced by Barbados, with numerous families reaching out for assistance on a daily basis. She said: “I would just like to help people understand Barbados still has a severe problem and there are a number of families that contact us every week and every day who literally don’t have a single item in the fridge or a bag of rice to feed their children, with the number of children in the family being six, eight or ten. They reach out to us and they don’t want charity, they are just desperate in looking for help and are looking for help in terms of finding a job or getting themselves back on their feet.”
In light of these pressing needs, Challis issued an appeal to both corporate entities and the wider community to contribute to this charitable cause. “If everybody could give a little bit more or give in kind then I think we can help alleviate this problem,” said Challis.
Abed echoed Challis’ sentiments and stressed the importance of community involvement during the back-to-school season. He said: “We at Abed’s have taken a social pledge to assist wherever we can and we can see no greater need than back-to-school. We are assisting in excess of 600 students this year, through various organisations such as the trust and many Members of Parliament and other agencies.
“I wish I could say that that figure was 6 000 so I am using this opportunity to ask other corporate entities to come on board; do whatever you can to assist because no child in Barbados should ever be put in a position where they feel less than.”
Langdon also asked corporate Barbados to do more to help charities reach more children and families in need. (SZB)
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