Our Story
From a lunch between four friends in 1998 to millions of dollars raised for women, children and young people across Trinidad and Tobago.
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1998
In March 1998 Women in Action for the Needy and Destitute (WAND) began over lunch with four friends and founding members (Simone de la Bastide, April Bermudez, Jan Ryan and Penny Elias), to realize a dream of creating an extraordinary women’s charitable organization.
We began with the purpose of assisting underprivileged women and children in our society and actively seeking the means to help those who have fallen, and with the assistance of Clive Pantin (of FEEL) we began our journey as a registered, non-profit, charitable organization, with a mandate, among others, to ensure that every penny contributed be injected into our projects and other charitable works.
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2000
WAND’s early efforts focused on assisting individuals with financial contributions for medical needs, materials for simple house construction and other urgent needs.
Our first major project was equipping the All In One Child Development Centre at Beetham, Port of Spain, which HRH Prince Charles visited in 2000.
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2002
Our second large project was the building and equipping of a Vocational Training Centre in La Brea, South Trinidad, attached to a home for battered and abused women and children. The then Prime Minister, The Hon. Patrick Manning, officially opened the Centre in 2002.
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2005
On 7 December 2005 His Excellency Prof. George Maxwell Richards, the then President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and Patron, officially opened the Vocational School for over 100 displaced and socially challenged youth in Tunapuna, East Trinidad, constructed and equipped through WAND’s facilitation.
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2007 to 2012
In 2007, WAND recognized the need for a residential drug rehabilitation centre catering exclusively to women and girls, as the main rehab centres in Trinidad were either exclusively for men or mixed gender. After three years of planning and fundraising WAND successfully raised TT$5 million for the WAND Centre, located on 3 acres of land leased by WAND from Palo Seco Agricultural Estates Limited (PSAEL) in South Trinidad.
On 5 June 2012 His Excellency Professor George Maxwell Richards, the then President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, officially opened the WAND Centre.
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2010
In 2010 a private citizen, with the support of United Way, donated to WAND a property known as Coora Camp (South Trinidad) consisting of 4 buildings on 9 acres of land. We have provided it to New Life Ministries for a transition home for the residents of the Palo Seco Centre, to Living Water Community as a home for the elderly, with a third building occupied by the manager of the properties.
Eternal Light Community will occupy the fourth building to open a Retreat Centre. The large acreage is also being used to grow food for the Homes on the property and, with the assistance of Digicel TT, will launch an Aquaponics Green Garden Project.
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2013
In 2013 we began directing our focus on vulnerable children, and have assisted the Patna-River Estate Police Youth Club with the purchase of appliances, furnishings, computers, books, library furniture and recorders for the Club’s new music programme. We also volunteer and conduct a weekly literacy programme for the youth at the Club.
In addition, WAND has enabled the Couva Children’s Home and Crisis Nursery to start a music programme by assisting with the construction of a music room, purchasing steelpans and other musical instruments and funding the cost of music tuition for two years.
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2014 and beyond
Our main fundraising activity continues to be our annual Christmas Charity Luncheon, with 2014 marking our 14th Luncheon. Supporters of WAND are treated to local entertainment, fashion and food, and encouraged not only to donate to our causes but to volunteer their time and skills. In 2016 we added a Black Tie Dinner and Dance to encourage more corporate interaction.
In 2014 and 2015 we funded a summer camp and then the refurbishment of the Morris Marshall Development Centre in St. Barbs.
WAND has successfully mobilized several millions of Trinidad and Tobago dollars for worthy causes to aid abused and abandoned women and children as well as at-risk and disenfranchised youth. We could not continue to contribute to the many charities without the kind funding of our partners and donors. For your support we remain eternally grateful.
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2020
WAND Foundation was the first to donate computers to the Ministry of Education’s Adopt-A-School Initiative, in September 2020. Computers were given to Chinapoo Government Primary School, Febeau Government Primary School, Couva Children’s Home and Crisis Nursery and Morvant Anglican Primary School.
We raised over $100,000 for Covid-19 related projects. We would like in particular to thank Scotiabank for their generous donations towards our food hamper distribution and laptop distribution projects.
As we persevere to make a difference in our country, one entity at a time, we appeal to you to donate and volunteer, and invite you to follow us on Facebook.