Gift For Life Foundation (GFLF) continues to touch the lives of underprivileged children throughout Trinidad and Tobago on a monthly basis in spite of the economic challenges faced by the country. Sunday 13th May 2018 was the Mother’s Day event held at the residence of GFLF ardent members Mr. and Mrs. Balgobin of Warren Road, Cunupia.

It was a day full of food, drinks, snacks fun, music, games and entertainment for the beautiful children of the following homes:
Ferndean’s Home, Point Fortin
Joshua Boys Home, Santa Rosa Heights
Raffa Boys’ Home, Mt. Lambert
Raffa Girls’ Home, Orange Grove
Casa de Corazon, Sangre Grande
Florence Wesleyan Foundation, Upper Carapichaima
Angel Michael Hostel for Youths, Chaguanas
Angel of Hope Foundation, Lange Park

Scholarship winner and Medical student, Twinkle Ragoonath, an active member of GFLF Youth arm co hosted the day’s entertainment with Anthony Sealey from the Florence Weseleyan Foundation. The children were having a great time playing games in the pool and jacuzzi, and were dancing to the music, making rounds to the ice-cream/cake, snow cone, popcorn, watermelon ,food, drinks stalls etc. Each child was given wonderful prizes. They really enjoyed the condensed milk and bun race over the pool but stopped to talk about how they felt about the day.

“With Gift For Life, we always have a ball of a time. We get fun memories to cherish. They give us the chance to express ourselves and also to eat and drink as much as we like…they make so much available to us. But, they always remain loving Teachers – they nicely make sure that we are safe in the water and learn some new skill at each event. It is just awesome… fascinating to meet new people and other children from other Homes and give each other moral support and strength to move on with life at a Home. Today I learnt to make Pholourie and saheena.” said Kimmy.

“Gift for life Foundation is so much about making us at Homes feel like we all belong to their Big family. They are like moms, dads, aunties, and uncles to us…they are so welcoming and accepting towards us. We can call on them anytime. I believe that more than anything, we children living at Homes need love, generosity and kindness; this is where Gift for Life has proven itself. Members do not remember us only at Christmas times, but all year round. The best thing is that they arrange outdoor events for us. I just LOVE to go out and have fun and learn new things” voiced Annemarie.

“Gift For Life Foundation encourage me; the members believe in me. By blood, I am not related to them, yet, I share a close bond with them.” said Sherese Thompson (Miss Gift for Life 2016).

When asked how they felt about GFLF monthly events, a boy from another Home in the east – west corridor shouted , “Please do not stop the monthly events…these have made our social interaction skills become stronger…I was really shy before. We learn so many things from these events…I know for fact that children from other Homes also patiently wait for Gift for life Foundation to take us out. I remain always thankful to the Gift for Life Foundation. Today I learnt how to better deal with Bullying at school.

During the Mother’s Day event, more than 150 children were made to feel so special that they forgot that they belonged to a Home – they all felt closely knitted to Gift For Life Foundation Family with Auntie Merle and Uncle Bal as their parents. Mrs Abdulla guided them into strategies that they can use to deal with bullying at school.

Gift For Life Foundation is in the process of raising funds via a car Raffle to be drawn on Saturday 30th June 2018 at Xtra Foods Endeavor Road, Chaguanas (between 3:00 pm – 6:00pm). The proceeds from the raffle will go towards construction of An Education Development Centre later this year. When asked about this Anthony Sealey enthusiastically said, “For many years now, the teachers of Gift For Life Foundation have been coming to our Home to help us to do better in our school work… They even gave us a brand-new Computer System and came regularly to demonstrate how to use it for our Education. The truth is I was not too much interested in my school work. But, the teachers of Gift For Life came and helped us individually. They showed me different ways to learn my school work and now I understand it so much better. I feel so much more confident about my school life and career. I am so happy that Gift For Life Foundation is going to build a Free Tuition centre for children of Homes. I am looking forward to this since I can go there and meet other children from other Homes and we can share our ideas on how we learn new things and we can help each other to become big and respected people in our country with this extra education.”

Gift For Life Foundation looks forward to the continued support of the public especially with its Car Raffle and calendar of events for the rest of the year. The GFLF sincerely wishes to thank its kind sponsors for making this memorable event possible. For further information, please call 672- 5157, 716- 4612, 734-0796 or email us at giftforlifefoundation2009@hotmail.com.

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