NSPD gets timely equipment from United Nations Programme
TERRANCE DAVIS,Vice President of the National Society for People with Disabilities (NSPD) has praised the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for its “ timely and generous” donation of equipment geared towards empowering members of the Society.
Davis’ elation, and that of the entire membership of the NSPD emerged from a proposal that was approved by the UNDP, which resulted in the provision of laptops, desktops, printers, saws, monitors, and other items to the organization.
The items were handed over last Monday, November 24, 2025, at the NSPD’s headquarters located on Higginson Street by UNDP’sYouth and Citizen Security Analyst for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, and Country Officer for St Vincent and the Grenadines, Garnet Jeffers.
In response to the gesture, Davis said, “ Let me first say thank you to the UNDP for coming on board with our organization, and this programme is truly at a point that it is really needed, because our members over the years have shown that we are able to do stuff and this is one of the things that will even propel members not only for the job market but to give them a skill needed to enhance or develop.”
The equipment valued at just under $20,000 will used to give members of the NSPD training in computer usage, and improve their skills in carpentry and particularly in joinery, with the overall cost of the undertaking bordering on $30,000.
“We want to empower our members in skills training, and hopefully, they will take full advantage of the opportunity to upgrade or enhance themselves,” Davis added.
Meanwhile, Jeffers noted that the NSPD was worthy of the project as their proposal satisfied the assessors. “A number of organisations would have put forward proposals, these proposals were submitted and they were put up for a review by the board, and upon the NSPD’s proposal, the organization decided it was worth funding,” Jeffers said at the handing over exercise.
Apart from the donation of equipment, the UNDP will provide payment to the facilitators of the programme, which is set to get going early in December, 2025.
“We will actually be paying for the facilitators, organizing venues, meals etc,” Jeffers stated. “ We have taken into consideration that there are persons who are deaf, so there will be sign language involved, and there are persons with other disabilities, so it will not be like any other ordinary training.” Members of the NSPD engage in small craft production from their facility housed in one section of the old Anglican Primary School in Kingstown.
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