20 get SEED grants

After a brief ceremony at the ministry’s head office, St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain, Social Development Minister Cherrie-Ann Crichlow-Cockburn said they received about 2,600 applications.

She said SEED was one of Government’s strategies being used to reduce poverty, get people off the food card or public assistance and have them in sustainable employment.

“So far payments would have been made to about 1,000 persons,” Crichlow-Cockburn said.

“We have about 400 payments outstanding and those payments would be processed by the comptroller of accounts and that should be done by the end of this week.” Crichlow-Cockburn said they were seeking to clear the backlog so some of the people who received their grants on Wednesday morning would have applied in 2013-2014, while at the same time trying to treat with applications from 2016-2017.

The grant was up to $15,000 and depended on each individual’s needs.

The minister said this was not a one-off event.

“We have not noticed a marked increase in the number of applications.

We are doing it based on constituencies and we have visited 30 so far seeking to educate the public in terms of what we offer.

So we expect we may see an increase next year because, as people become more aware of what the ministry offers and provides, we may likely have greater applications.” One recipient, Francis Vidal, whose wife is disabled, said he hopes to start a landscaping business, while Candice Lashley planned to purchase equipment for her small catering business.

Through the SEED programme, individuals were given access to tools, equipment and material to start or expand a mini/micro enterprise. These individuals were then supported through a multi-pronged system which provided business training, education and mentorship that maximised their potential for success.

Grants were given for use in welding, flag construction and decoration, agriculture, catering, an internet café, mini-mart and photography among others.

The recipients have already completed the mandatory entrepreneurial training and development in cash management, record keeping, customer service excellence, marketing and costing and pricing.

The recipients viewed the grants as a blessing.

“I am so happy for this opportunity. It would’ve been almost impossible to get equipment without this grant,” Lashley said, while Vidal said it would enable him to “create a better life for my family