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By Kaelanne Jordan
mediarelations.camsel@catholictt.org
As the new school term approaches, persons whose contracts were terminated by the Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) are facing severe hardship, struggling to afford essential school supplies for their children.
Nigel Phillip, National President of the Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP), said the organisation has been receiving daily calls from desperate parents seeking assistance—a situation worsened with the addition of more than 10,000 CEPEP workers.
“Children are home on summer vacation, and during this time parents are seeking support on how their children are going to go out to school,” Phillip said, “meaning how they’re going to get uniforms, how they’re going to get shoes, how they’re going to get different items so that they can go out to school when the new school term opens.”
The Society has operated in Trinidad and Tobago for over 170 years, with more than 600 active members serving through parishes across both islands. Traditionally, the organisation provides food support and other aid based on donations received from parishioners. But Phillip says the need has now extended well beyond food.
“And we’re also seeing persons who want support for like rent…. We already have a growing concern for persons on the streets, like the vagrants and the homeless….”
Phillip continued, “Every day I’ve been receiving calls from persons who are seeking support, mainly for food to feed their children,” he said. “If I tell you this breaks my heart—when persons have to literally beg and cry for help…No human being should become so vulnerable for daily survival.”
With CEPEP workers already earning minimum wage and working limited hours, the impact of the unemployment is especially harsh.
“This is not just taking away these people’s livelihood to survive, but also their existence in society,” Phillip said.
He stressed that some of the most vulnerable in society are affected—people with limited options and few safety nets.
“We are talking about single mothers with families to sustain, where this may be their only form of income,” he said. “We’re talking about single fathers who refuse to turn to crime and decide to use the little they get from working within the CEPEP programme.”
He added that the programme had also been a source of opportunity for school dropouts, young adults trying to support themselves, and even former inmates working to rebuild their lives.
Phillip also criticised the government’s handling of the situation, saying more thought should have been given to the social consequences of such a large retrenchment.
“Now the government of the day should have considered the various impacts on poor people’s life before a decision is made, because these poor people sometimes don’t have any alternatives for employment for sustainability,” he said.
“Even though they say they would be rehired—what is the now solution for survival? And the word here I’m using is now. What is the now, now solution for survival?” he questioned.
Persons interested in supporting the work of the Society of St Vincent de Paul can contact them at 729-5818, 687-5320 or 229-0502.
Photo by Ron Lach
