SimplyHelp Foundation has made yet another significant donation to Saint Lucians in need. This time around, the non-profit organisation has provided 1 000 pairs of shoes.
Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia Nicole Su, on behalf of SimplyHelp Foundation, officially handed over the consignment of sneakers and walking shoes to Minister for Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment Joachim Henry, during a recent ceremony.
Founded in 2000 by Tina Bow, a Taiwanese-American businesswoman, SimplyHelp Foundation is a US-registered non-profit organisation which assists underprivileged children, individuals and households achieve a better quality of life.
As a partner of this goodwill operation, the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) began its collaboration with SimplyHelp Foundation and has been assisting with the sea freight for the goods for coming to Saint Lucia.
Through the kind assistance of the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment, three 20-foot containers with clothing, shoes, toys, and daily essentials have been handed over during the past two years.
In her brief remarks at the handover ceremony, Ambassador Su thanked Minister Henry; Dr Charmaine Hippolyte-Emmanuel, Permanent Secretary; Karen Dupre, Acting Deputy Permanent Secretary; and the team at the Social Transformation Department for their hard work in distributing the shoes to those in need.
She recalled paying a courtesy call to Hon. Henry last month, noting that she was was inspired by his vision for an equitable and inclusive society. She added that she was also impressed by the scientific approaches that Hon. Henry adopts to break the vicious cycles of hardship, and to ensure equitable accessibility to resources and opportunities.
“Indeed, social justice and empowerment are cross-cutting issues that require collaboration among different Ministries, departments, agencies and stakeholders in a society,” Ambassador Su said. “I’d like to therefore commend all of you who are here today, because it is you and your commitment which make things happen.”
“I’d like to reaffirm that Taiwan is an unswerving partner with you, and we are fully committed to collaborating with the Government and people of Saint Lucia to reach our common aspiration to make our world a more equitable place to live,” Ambassador Su added.
Henry underscored the importance of shoes, recounting that many Saint Lucian parents in the past, due to their financial challenges, made the sacrifice of going without shoes just so they could afford to send their children to school.
He said that while his Ministry provides income support to underprivileged families, such assistance is often used to purchase food items. He expressed gratitude to SimplyHelp Foundation and the Government of Taiwan for their continued support to families in need.
“I think that as we continue to work hard for this Ministry and for our population, I don’t think we should give up,” Henry said. “We welcome and advocate for the Taiwanese who have always provided support for many years. We have found persons who have received (these gifts) and have said thanks for receiving them.”
Meanwhile, Dr Hippolyte-Emmanuel, thanked the Government of Taiwan for its assistance toward the Ministry’s mandate to transform lives and empower people. She said the shoes will be distributed throughout the island via the respective Social Transformation Officers.
“Shoes actually give title and ownership to persons,” said Hippolyte-Emmanuel. “But for our clients, we want them to be a part of two things: the aesthetics, and also feeling empowered. When we have shoes, we are protected from the elements. When we have shoes, we are able to make decisions to go that extra mile.”
