BPTT food drive delivers truckloads of pumpkin

Distribution of the pumpkins marked the third phase of harvesting and delivery of a variety of food crops undertaken by the energy company to promote the importance of increased food production and food security in Trinidad and Tobago.

“We must thank bpTT for this wonderful gesture of providing us with a virtual truckload of pumpkins for the boys at the centre. With so much, our kitchen staff will have to come up with innovative ways to prepare the dishes. Of course, we will be able to freeze a lot of it and use it at a later stage.

This is indeed a grand gesture from bpTT and it demonstrates that we can all play our part in increasing food production and helping others,” said an official of the Youth Training Centre (YTC), Arouca, when the produce was delivered to the institution.

Also benefiting from the pumpkin delivery were Cyril Ross Nursery (Tunapuna), Christ Child Convalescent Home (Diego Martin), Joshua Home for Boys (Santa Rosa), Lady Hochoy Home (Cocorite), Jairah House (Champs Fleurs), Raffa House for Girls (Malabar), St Dominic’s Children’s Home (Belmont), St Jude’s Home for Girls (Belmont), St. Mary’s Children’s Home (Tacarigua), St Michael’s School for Boys (Diego Martin). While most of the projects undertaken nationwide under the aegis of United Way’s National Day of Caring on Sunday, May 22, were mounted and completed on the actual day, the bpTT initiative started one week earlier, on May 14, with preparation of plots at three locations, Wallerfield and Orange Grove in north Trinidad, and Rio Claro in the east. Planting was done on May 22, while harvesting has been ongoing.

Crops such as bodi, melongene, ochro, sweet pepper, cabbage and pumpkin, were subsequently harvested with distribution to the centres done in three phases.