At a food hamper distribution hosted by the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services, Donna Cox announced that her ministry officially recognises widows and widowers as a category of the vulnerable population.

After presenting 14 hampers on Tuesday at the St Vincent Street ministry to Widows Support Trinidad and Tobago and the Widows Association to assist members, the minister said, “There can be no doubt that the devastating impact of covid19 pandemic continues to pose several challenges to the population, including the sudden death of loved ones leaving spouses behind to fend for themselves and their children.

“With more than 1,100 persons already succumbing to the disease, there is every reason to believe that a significant proportion of those would have left a spouse in mourning.”

The ministry’s support includes free counselling and psychosocial help through the National Family Services Division and access to funding and training from the Empowerment through Entrepreneurship Programme to start a small business.

[caption id="attachment_906482" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Minister of Social Development and Family Services Donna Cox (right) gives Anne Saunders-Smith a hamper during the hamper distribution ceremony to widows at the Ministry's head office, St Vincent Street, Port of Spain on Tuesday. - Photo by Angelo Marcelle[/caption]

The ministry has also made available a $1,100 grant, which may rise to $1,750 for four or more people in a household.

The ministry also intends to guide this group through the transition of becoming self-sufficient income-earners.

Roosalind Seenath, founder of Widows Support TT commended the ministry for acknowledging the silent struggle of widows.

Seenath said the challenges she experienced after losing her husband to leukaemia in 2009, leaving her to care for their one-year-old child, motivated her to establish an emotional and financial support circle for widows. Today there are over 500 members who have access to counselling and other empowerment programmes.

She said she is heartened by the plans to assist widows and hopes this programme can develop into something great.

“Widows find themselves becoming the sole breadwinner and they don't have any kind of educational or working experience. We hope that we could continue to partner with the ministry along this journey.”

Terrence Honore. founder of the Widows' Association, applauded the ministry for this move.

"This response by this minister comes at the right time to deal with this problem and treat with the problem of caring for the widows as a vulnerable group. We are very elated about the minister's position, and her declaration, as it were, on treating widows and caring for widows."

Honore said the association, founded in 2017, was able to register 100 members. Those willing to join can call or send a message on the association’s Facebook page.