Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Friday launched the Children’s Life Fund in the United Kingdom at an event in Kensington, London, urging nationals of Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean Diaspora to contribute to the fund.
Among guests at the event was Baroness Floella Benjamin, whom the Prime Minister described as “a great practical idealist, architect and builder” of many children’s programs.
She said her government is working “feverishly” to attract contributors to the fund and announced that there are plans to establish Friends of the fund in different countries as she has done in England.
“We want it to grow from strength to strength, to having Friends of the Children's Fund in Britain, in the United States of America, in Jamaica, in Canada, throughout the world,” she said.
“Our goal is to raise $100 million in the Life Fund geared towards helping families with children in need of life-saving surgeries,” she added.
She said since the fund was launched last year it has provided $3.9 million to help 17 children to have life-saving surgery abroad that could not be performed Trinidad and Tobago.
She said private sector incentives will also be established to encourage contributions to the fund. In addition she said partnership arrangements will be established, involving foreign specialist hospitals, aimed at increasing knowledge and technology in the local health sector.
“We owe a duty of care to the most vulnerable in our society and the harsh reality is that there is a lot more to be done as we strive to provide the best medical attention for our children,” she said.
“One of the crucial factors in the progress of any country is the development of the child, the adult of tomorrow - tomorrow's engineers, doctors, progressive farmers, teachers, scientists, social leaders,” she added.
Persad-Bissessar said in order to meet these needs, her People’s Partnership government will concentrate on establishing and expanding its own services geared towards the needs of children.
“The need to strengthen social safety nets, to protect and promote human rights including the rights of children, and focus on key sectors such as health are integral parts of our work as a government,” she said.
“By strengthening the implementation of existing and developing new policies, specifically addressing nutrition, and health care we can take the first steps in putting an end to these issues which plague our children.
“We are seeking to raise the standards simultaneously in education, nutrition, sanitation, and health, with everyone, all partners and stakeholders lending a hand, from the local teachers and doctors to the Ministries to NGOs and civil society.”
The Prime Minister said while there have been improvements in dealing with children who have special medical needs the access to funds remains a significant barrier to realising their fundamental right to healthy lives.
She said her vision is to expand the idea and create a Children’s Life Fund staff of men and women from throughout the region with several governments contributing on a purely voluntary basis to its budget.
“We as adults should constantly ask ourselves: is our society doing, or failing to do, all that is possible to equip our children with the tools for a healthy future?" she asked.
She told her audience that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has agreed in principle to initiate a Pan Caribbean Children’s Life Fund, and she invited the nations of the world and international organisations such as UNICEF, “to partner with us in this noble initiative”.
The Prime Minister described her visit to the UK as “exciting and inspiring” noting that “the greatest joy has been to discover that there are so many children in this country who care about other children in the world, children far away from them whom they have never seen.”
She advised that a Children’s Life Fund account has been established in the UK and that contributions can be made to a Barclays Account.
She encouraged everyone to start contributing to the Fund, adding that the Trinidad and Tobago High Commission in London would provide any additional information needed.
Among guests at the event was Baroness Floella Benjamin, whom the Prime Minister described as “a great practical idealist, architect and builder” of many children’s programs.
She said her government is working “feverishly” to attract contributors to the fund and announced that there are plans to establish Friends of the fund in different countries as she has done in England.
“We want it to grow from strength to strength, to having Friends of the Children's Fund in Britain, in the United States of America, in Jamaica, in Canada, throughout the world,” she said.
“Our goal is to raise $100 million in the Life Fund geared towards helping families with children in need of life-saving surgeries,” she added.
She said since the fund was launched last year it has provided $3.9 million to help 17 children to have life-saving surgery abroad that could not be performed Trinidad and Tobago.
She said private sector incentives will also be established to encourage contributions to the fund. In addition she said partnership arrangements will be established, involving foreign specialist hospitals, aimed at increasing knowledge and technology in the local health sector.
“We owe a duty of care to the most vulnerable in our society and the harsh reality is that there is a lot more to be done as we strive to provide the best medical attention for our children,” she said.
“One of the crucial factors in the progress of any country is the development of the child, the adult of tomorrow - tomorrow's engineers, doctors, progressive farmers, teachers, scientists, social leaders,” she added.
Persad-Bissessar said in order to meet these needs, her People’s Partnership government will concentrate on establishing and expanding its own services geared towards the needs of children.
“The need to strengthen social safety nets, to protect and promote human rights including the rights of children, and focus on key sectors such as health are integral parts of our work as a government,” she said.
“By strengthening the implementation of existing and developing new policies, specifically addressing nutrition, and health care we can take the first steps in putting an end to these issues which plague our children.
“We are seeking to raise the standards simultaneously in education, nutrition, sanitation, and health, with everyone, all partners and stakeholders lending a hand, from the local teachers and doctors to the Ministries to NGOs and civil society.”
The Prime Minister said while there have been improvements in dealing with children who have special medical needs the access to funds remains a significant barrier to realising their fundamental right to healthy lives.
She said her vision is to expand the idea and create a Children’s Life Fund staff of men and women from throughout the region with several governments contributing on a purely voluntary basis to its budget.
“We as adults should constantly ask ourselves: is our society doing, or failing to do, all that is possible to equip our children with the tools for a healthy future?" she asked.
She told her audience that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has agreed in principle to initiate a Pan Caribbean Children’s Life Fund, and she invited the nations of the world and international organisations such as UNICEF, “to partner with us in this noble initiative”.
The Prime Minister described her visit to the UK as “exciting and inspiring” noting that “the greatest joy has been to discover that there are so many children in this country who care about other children in the world, children far away from them whom they have never seen.”
She advised that a Children’s Life Fund account has been established in the UK and that contributions can be made to a Barclays Account.
She encouraged everyone to start contributing to the Fund, adding that the Trinidad and Tobago High Commission in London would provide any additional information needed.
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