VZCZCXYZ0633
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSP #0192/01 0501716
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 191715Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0246
INFO RUEHSP/AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN

UNCLAS PORT OF SPAIN 000192 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KWMN KPAO PREL AID CDC COM TRSY TD
SUBJECT: S/GWI PROJECT PROPOSAL: TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO 
 
REF: STATE 132094 
 
¶1. SUMMARY Per reftel, U.S. Embassy Port of Spain has identified 
Credo Foundation's Sophia House for the Secretary's Office of 
Global Women's Issues' Small Grants Initiative. END SUMMARY 
 
 
 
¶2. PROBLEM STATEMENT 
 
 
 
The Credo Foundation operates Sophia House Center for the 
Empowerment of Young Girls at Risk, a shelter for homeless at risk 
young women. Sophia House offers young women and girls increased 
access to education, removal from domestic violence and sexual 
exploitation, and economic opportunities through mentoring and 
vocational training. 
 
 
 
¶3. PROPOSED PROGRAM SUMMARY 
 
 
 
With this grant we would help Sofia House 1) establish new 
counseling services through art therapy, 2) provide educational 
services through school transportation, civics-based field trips, 
and computers and exercise equipment at youth and homeless centers, 
and 3) vocational training through sewing machines and other 
materials. 
 
 
 
Sofia House offers temporary emergency as well as long-term 
accommodation to young girls at risk.  When the center opened in 
2004 there was no other facility offering similar services to young 
women in Trinidad and Tobago. Facilities for homeless and troubled 
young women in Trinidad are currently unable to meet the demands of 
the population. 
 
 
 
Residents of Sophia House are typically young girls living on the 
streets and participating in abusive and degrading relationships. 
Many are young mothers lacking knowledge of healthy parenting 
practices. 
 
 
 
Sophia House provides young women and girls with economic 
alternatives to homelessness and prostitution. The center 
facilitates education, training and personal development for 
residents; to empower families and to facilitate family 
reintegration where possible. The center also offers developmental 
programs, opportunities to complete school, remedial programs to 
assist in preparing to return to school, job training, counseling 
and therapy, and parenting skills. 
 
 
 
¶4. PROJECT ACTIVITY AND DESCRIPTION 
 
 
 
¶A. Establish an Art Therapist Position. Residents are frequently 
victims of traumatic experiences and would benefit from weekly art 
therapy to process past experiences and recover emotionally. 
 
 
 
¶B. OrGANIZE A SERIES OF Know-Your-Country Field Trips for residents 
who have not traveled outside of their home neighborhoods. These 
trips would expose residents to the natural beauty and civic 
history of Trinidad and encourage pride in their country. 
 
 
 
¶C. Educational/VOCATIONAL EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS.  We would fund 
the purchase of computers, vocational training materials, and 
exercise equipment for residents. Residents will learn to sew and 
complete minor garment repairs. 
 
 
 
¶D. Transportation.  Subsidize transportation from shelters to 
enable residents to complete of school. Additionally, Sophia House 
staff must travel to the homes of former residents who were 
 
reunited with family to evaluate their continued safety and 
development. 
 
 
 
¶E. SPECIFIC THERAPY.  Three young women have been identified for 
specialized Psycho/Educational testing. Sophia House would like to 
hire a therapist to meet regularly with them to assess their 
current capabilities and help them to improve their mental health 
and educational achievements. 
 
 
 
¶5. DESIRED OUTCOMES AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES 
 
 
 
Sophia House works to encourage self reliance in each of their 
residents as well as an ability and desire to develop into 
responsible and caring citizens.  Sophia House conducts internal 
program evaluations on a quarterly basis using the following 
indicators: participation in developmental programs, re-integration 
into the education system, ability to live successfully outside of 
Sophia House. The center's staff is required to report on progress 
to Management and the board every quarter.  We would expect to 
receive the same reports. 
 
 
 
Successes achieved during 2009 include four high school graduates, 
three former residents living on their own and supporting 
themselves, eight former residents reunited with their families, 
and one resident is now a successful seamstress. 
 
 
 
¶6. TOTAL BUDGET in U.S. Dollars: $29,802 
 
-- Computers, desks, and printers: $4,700 
 
-- Sewing Machines: $792 
 
-- Exerciser: $800 
 
-- Psycho/Educational Testing: $6,000 
 
-- Art Therapist & materials: $10,000 
 
 
-- Know your Country Field Trips: $460 
 
-- School/Home Travel: $2,800 
 
-- Educational Materials: $3,000 
 
-- Parent Empowerment: $800 
 
-- Past Residents: $450 
 
 
 
¶7. ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION 
 
 
 
The Credo Foundation for Justice (CFJ) was founded in 1993 by the 
Holy Faith Sisters to address social injustices against youth. 
 
 
 
Following a needs analysis, CFJ began work with children on the 
streets in 1994 and subsequently opened three centers: Credo 
Drop-In & Development Centre in 1997, Aylward Transitional Facility 
in 2000, and Sophia House for the empowerment of young girls at 
risk in 2004. 
 
 
 
CFJ works with children who live and work on the streets or in 
other abusive situations.  CFJ's three centers provide a safe home, 
and mentoring to develop the personal, social and educational 
skills needed to transition to a healthy lifestyle. CFJ strives to 
positively impact individual lives as well as Trinidadian society 
by addressing the systemic problems of homelessness, crime and 
violence. 
 
 
 
Although CFJ centers are located in Port of Spain, residents come 
from all areas of Trinidad & Tobago as well as other Caribbean 
 
islands.   CFJ accepts all residents irrespective of race, 
religion, sexual orientation, physical ability or socio-economic 
status. The majority residents are between the ages of 7 and 21. 
There are usually 35-40 in residence with others dropping in. 
 
 
 
¶8. GRANT MANAGEMENT 
 
 
 
The Political-Economic Section will manage the grant through the 
Political Officer and Political Assistant. Services offered by 
Sophia House compliment the drug demand reduction foreign 
assistance efforts of Post's INL program. 
Kusnitz