Companies partner for progress in Mayaro

The mood was optimistic as representatives of bp Trinidad and Tobago (bpTT) and the Laing Group of Companies visited the Mayaro-based Servol Junior Life Centre to deliver musical and sporting equipment and formalise their relationship with the educational institution last Friday (31st January).

According to 15-year-old trainee, Kadon Octave, “I love football, cricket and music, so I’m really excited about everything they gave to us. I play pan with the Panhandle Steel Orchestra, which bpTT has assisted, so I’m not surprised by this gesture. These companies even made our classrooms more comfortable with a/c units, so that we can focus on learning and achieving success. There are a lot of young people across the country that need this kind of help, so more companies need to follow their example.”  

Through their partnership, bpTT and Laing were able to provide the Mayaro Servol Centre with three new air-conditioning units, in addition to sporting equipment and uniforms, board games, learning tools and musical instruments including steelpans and drums. Representatives of both companies visited the school to deliver items, as well as to formally meet the executive team of Servol and interact with the trainees. 

Leading the bpTT-team, and explaining the initiative was Ryan Chaitram, manager, communications and external affairs (C&EA), “We have a long-standing relationship with Servol and in fact, they were once based at the bpTT Mayaro Resource Centre. When they reached out to us, we saw it as an ideal opportunity to partner with our service provider, Laing Group, and maximise the impact of this initiative. The team at Laing quickly got on board and this visit represents the formal aspect of this partnership for progress.”

“The enthusiasm and gratitude of the trainees made a huge impact on us and validated the efforts to deliver and even surpass the requests of Servol. These young people showed us that they are eager and energised to use these tools to learn and grow. This partnership is helping young people to unlock their full potential, and we look forward to collaborating with other companies to deepen the impact of meaningful corporate social responsibility investments like this,” Chaitram added.

The Servol trainees were especially excited by the new steelpans and drums that were provided and wasted no time in demonstrating their talents to their visitors. 

In existence for almost six decades, Servol has impacted critical areas of society through Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Centres, Junior Life Programmes, Adolescent Development Programmes, Skills Training and Schools for Children with Special Needs, and a Parent Outreach Programme. Servol has been so successful that their model has been adopted across the Caribbean and in countries as far afield as Australia, Kenya and Israel.

Expressing gratitude on behalf of Servol was the organisation’s Executive Director, Allison Haynes, “We often partner with corporations to make a positive impact on the most vulnerable persons in society. This initiative is especially meaningful because it will go a long way towards improving the ability of trainees to learn and develop their various skills. In fact, our Deputy Director, Mr. Ramoutar, and I, were once Servol trainees. We are living proof that with the right attitude and hard work, you can achieve anything. This investment by bpTT and Laing will benefit these future leaders – we look forward to them using these tools to succeed and inspire future generations.”

Following the interactive visit and tour of the facilities, the teams from bpTT and Laing held a meeting to discuss future opportunities for collaboration. This latest initiative represents a continuation of bpTT’s efforts to partner with other companies in delivering developmental projects. In fact, the energy company recently engaged with Hydro Tech Limited on projects that are benefitting both an ECCE and primary school located in Guayaguayare.  Giving context to the corporate collaboration was George Laing, Executive Director at Laing Group, “I was born in Mayaro, and my first steps in education were taken here, so this is an especially poignant experience for me. We take our corporate responsibility role very seriously, and any investment in youth education is one that directly impacts the future, one child at a time. 

“Supplemental education providers like Servol are invaluable in terms of impacting the most vulnerable groups in society. That’s why we didn’t hesitate when bpTT approached us with this opportunity to help these trainees through academic and extra-curricular interventions. By uniting our efforts and expertise, we were able to expand the impact of this educational investment. We are also setting an example for other companies to invest in the development of communities across our country.”