Fifty families whose financial situations were thrown into peril by the COVID-19 pandemic, received assistance from the Soroptimist International of Barbados (SIB) club recently.
“What is clear is that before, during and after this … pandemic, women and girls will continue to need assistance and support from organisations such as ours.”
The women’s plight was brought to public attention by anti human trafficking specialist Dr Olivia Smith who shared in the press that they had lost jobs due the impact of the pandemic and were essentially stranded in Barbados with little in the way of family support systems here.
During the height of the pandemic restrictions, her group, the Caribbean Anti Human Trafficking Project, identified 55 women and 40 children who were in desperate need.
SIB sprung into action to assist, purchasing 100 prepackaged grocery bags from Popular Discount and working with the retailer to customise the bags for women by replacing some of the items with feminine care products.
President of SIB, Krystle Maynard noted that anti human trafficking advocacy is a focus area for the club both locally and globally, with much of their work coming under their Purple Teardrop campaign.
“When we saw this story, as a club, we felt compelled to help. From our Purple Teardrop work, we are well aware of how financial difficulty can make women vulnerable to human trafficking attempts. So we had to do our part to ensure that these women and their families could be fed and safe,” she stated.
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