The successful rehabilitation and reintegration into society of individuals struggling with mental health and addiction challenges, require the existence of strong, structured programmes aimed at developing life skills and providing the tools necessary to earn a living, and more importantly, to navigate real life challenges that increase the possibility for relapse.
It is for this reason, that leading insurance and financial solutions provider, Sagicor, made a recent donation of desktops to the rehabilitation programmes at Verdun and Marina Houses, both projects of the Substance Abuse Foundation (SAF) Inc.
As approved Assessment Centres for five industry standards by Barbados’ Technical & Vocational Training Education and Training (TVET) Council, these facilities are recognised as Second Chance Institutions with the ability to provide training, leading to the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ), the equivalent of the CXC, but for competency-based learners.
This Second Chance Programme is designed to provide youth who have been unable to complete their formal education, with another opportunity to access educational opportunities tailored specifically to them.
CEO of the SAF Inc., Marietta Carrington, said that thanks to this programme, they have seen clients make full and lasting recoveries. “We established a Learning Equipment Centre equipped with second-hand computers that were previously donated; however, one-by- one these systems have been decommissioned over time, negatively impacting our ability to deliver and execute the programme.
We are therefore exceedingly grateful that Sagicor and its Tech support team were willing to provide us with and assist in the set-up of these systems, which will go a long way towards improving the lives of our clients.”
Speaking on the donation was Paul Inniss, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Sagicor Life Inc, who said the decision to support this programme was an easy one, given the alignment between the SAF’s commitment to bettering the lives of their clients and Sagicor’s continued focus on improving the lives of those in the communities in which it operates.
“As the great Frederick Douglass said, ‘education is the path to freedom’, and we at Sagicor firmly believe in assisting wherever possible with providing those in need with the tools to access such education.
Leading this charge has been our very own Sagicor Tech support team, who have been the ones responsible for identifying, refurbishing and formatting the various systems in preparation for donation.
Their commitment to this effort has been further showcased by their willingness and eagerness to provide the physical support necessary to set up the systems at both institutions.”
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sagicor and its Tech support team have made several similar donations, with recipients including the Optimist Club, the Unborn Justice organisation and the St. Leonard’s Boys School’s Music Lab. (PR)
