WAND outfits community centres with PCs

Speaking at the official launch of the WAND-Price Philanthropic Foundation Educational Project, Jan Bocass Ryan, president of WAND said they got involved in the programme because of news of delinquency in various communities triggered by crime and drugs.

“These computers are only to be used for learning. We have been advised that any deviation from this will result in the equipment being confiscated by the donor. Village Council members monitoring of activities on the computer is also part of your remit,” she emphasised.

Ryan said she hoped children will take their homework assignments seriously and use the computers to do their research projects.

“We are asking the Ministry of Community Development Officers of various communities to be a part of that responsibility and feed us data. Each will receive six computers with Microsoft software, six UPS Units, and one printer. We are very proud for the first time Wand is able to execute a project in our sister isle of Tobago,” she said.

She encouraged the Village Council members to take responsibility to ensure that the programme is successful and sustained.

Also addressing the gathering, Sharon Rowley described the women of Wand as the “Fairy God Mothers of Trinidad and Tobago.” She acknowledged the good deeds of Wand foundation and indicated that their good deeds will not go unnoticed.

“We are here today( yesterday) to celebrate another one of Wand’s achievements.

We are here to celebrate the steps taken by the ladies of Wand to assists in transforming the lives of persons in 14 communities in Trinidad and Tobago with the provision of computers.

This marks the hard work and dedication of the fairy god mothers.” She continued, “They realised that many of these communities there are persons who come from low income families and are unable to acquire home computers, because they struggle to make ends meet, but they realise that the bulk of them are future leaders, doctors, teachers, persons with so much potential.” She said some of these communities are designated as “hot spots” where crime has become a way of life for a few persons who have determined that their jobs involved the taking of lives of innocent victims for a fee.

“We all know that the persons who commit these crimes are in the minority.

Wand and its partners realised that the majority of persons in these communities do not condone criminality.

The majority are hard working and God-fearing individuals who want a better life for themselves and their children,” she said.

She said by outfitting these 14 communities with computers, it is the intention of Wand and its partners to empower persons in these communities as active citizens in a technology driven world.

“Wand realises that the economy is rapidly shifting and that computer literacy is necessary for economic opportunity and social inability for all. In today’s world everyone needs basic computer skills to function in the job market,” she said.

The 14 community centres include Upper El Dorado, Samaroo Village, Jerningham, Springvale, L’anse Norie, Ortorie/ Mayaro, Palo Seco settlement, Embacadere, 6th Avenue Malick, Upper Ninth Avenue, second Caledonia, Upper 7th Avenue Malick, Barataria, Gasparillo/Santa Cruz and Mt Grace Tobago.