Caribbean

GROOTS, standing for Grassroots Organisations Operating Together in Sisterhood, is a grassroots community-based NGO with a chapter located in Trinidad & Tobago. The organization accounts for 30 members and eight affiliated organizations in mainly rural areas, who are engaged primarily in five core areas: HIV/AIDS, domestic and gender-based violence prevention, sexual reproductive health and rights, mental health issues, disaster preparedness awareness, and sensitization from a gender perspective.

To support the capacity building of grassroots women, GROOTS Trinidad & Tobago (GROOTS T&T)  provides peer support, counseling and psychosocial support. The organization additionally created a mobile caravan where medical and legal services will be taken to rural communities for the benefit of women and girls who are not able to access such services due to the financial constraints. The communities are also able to access certified training of HIV/AIDS and STIs testers. GROOTS T&T became a member of Huairou Commission (HC) in 2014. The organization was attracted by the HC’s ability and dedication to connecting grassroots women globally. Moreover, GROOTS T&T was interested in joining the international grassroots movement as a part of Caribbean region.

Sistren Theatre Collective (STC) is facilitating NGO in Jamaica. STC is one of the first organizations that joined Huairou Commission (HC) in 1995. Being a part of the Beijing process with Huairou, STC became a founding member of GROOTS international and promoted the rise of grassroots women’s movement.

STC accounts today for 150-200 members from 15 affiliated grassroots women in rural, urban and peri-urban settings of Jamaica. Members come from a wide range of backgrounds: students, youth groups, unemployed and professional people. The scope of work varies from teenage parenthood, health and sexual violence, crime and violence, housing, migration, justice and economic policy, gender justice and capacity building for organizations.

To enhance capacity building for grassroots women, STC has used educational workshops on leadership, film screening, psychological rehabilitation in inner cities communities across Jamaica. Performing and visual arts are also used to ease drama and address personal issues among women. The emphasis is on collective analysis of problems and discussions of possible solutions through networking with local, regional and international organizations. Moreover, the grassroots groups also organize street theater on various topics like parenting and gang violence that are followed by community discussions where residents express themselves on the issues highlighted in the street theater.