Regional insurer Sagicor said it is continuing its partnership with the Chosen Hands Art and Wellness programme based at the St Jude's Home for Girls in Belmont.

The programme, which was started in 2019, is managed by founder and artist Anika Plowden-Corentin. Its goal is to provide the young women at St Jude's with the opportunity to develop their entrepreneurship skills, as well as create a safe space for mentorship and personal growth, said a media release.

For the third year, Sagicor has donated to the programme, this time supporting the gender-based awareness workshops, slated for April, May, and August. The workshops, which form part of the overall programme, will focus on gender equality awareness and healing from trauma. The programme's theme, Golden Thread, focuses on the importance of mentors who use their own life experiences to help the young women navigate what they in turn want their lives to look like.

Sagicor's manager of pensions administration Susan Mendez, who was on hand for the presentation, reiterated the company's commitment to developing the nation's youth.

'Our youth are our future, and it is important for us to uplift them as much as is possible to ensure that they can thrive and have the tools necessary to navigate today's world. We are pleased to be able to continue our support of Chosen Hands as they move forward with the great work, they have been doing in empowering the lives of these young women,' she said in the releasee

Director of Chosen Hands Leela Ramsingh said, 'I've been involved with Chosen Hands since 2018. I feel strongly that it is important to give back to the community, that we elevate our children's lives. Chosen Hands intends to take this initiative to Tobago and partner with NGOs there because we know how helping the next generation benefits all of us. I'm thankful for Sagicor's support again this year and look forward to continued collaboration.'

Sagicor's sponsorship of Chosen Hands is in keeping with commitment to gender awareness, following on from its 2021 campaign, Protect Our Women, the release said. The company said it donated $250,000 to support four NGOs dedicated to the fight against gender-based violence. The beneficiaries were the Rape Crisis Society; The Shelter; the Coalition Against Domestic Violence; and Families in Action, with some $100,000 being directly donated to further their intervention programmes to bring awareness to and drive education towards the issue of gender-based violence.