"He who opens a school door closes a prison."Victor Hugo
Our Projects
Covid 19 and Prison
During the covid-19 pandemic, the Wishing for Wings Foundation held an essay writing competition in Port of Spain Prison and Remand Prison in Golden Grove. Inmates wrote about the life I was destined to have and why their voices should be heard.
Inmates in Remand Prison joined in the fight against covid19 They wrote and recorded jingles highlighting covid-19 safety tips with prison’s Rise Radio.
Watch the entire debate shown in the video on the right.
US Ambassador Joseph Mondello congratulating the All-Star Prison Debate Team on their accomplishment
Photo credit Loop TT
The Prison Debate Project
The Prison Debate Project began in my Port of Spain Prison CXC English language class in 2015. In July 2018 the Wishing for Wings Foundation and prisons had an inter-station debates competition among the eight prisons: Carrera, the Eastern Correctional Rehabilitation Centre (ECRC), Golden Grove, Golden Grove Remand, Port of Spain Prison, the Maximum Security Prison (MSP) and the Youth Training Centre (YTC) and Women's Prison. MSP placed first, Golden Grove Remand placed second, Carrera placed third and Port of Spain Prison placed fourth. The top ten debaters out of 40 participants made up an all-star debate team, which calls itself Team Intellect. The top ten debaters come from four prisons: Carrera, ECRC, Golden Grove Remand, and MSP. On January 3, the team faced off against the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) over a classic nature vs nurture debate on whether crime is innate or driven by society. Team Intellect beat UTT by 350 points. On June 11 2019 the All-star Prison Debate team beat the prison officer debate team at City Hall in Trinidad.
Caribbean Fathers Are Reading
(CFAR)
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CFAR -- Caribbean Fathers Are Reading --Building a culture of reading from inside the prison system.
Port of Spain Prison features a programme where inmates read to their children during a special family visit. Fathers read a children's book to younger children or part of a chapter's book to older children.
YTC Tilapia Fish Project​
A generous donation by Gary Aboud set up a tilapia project in the Youth Training Center (YTC). Lads inside of YTC had the opportunity to raise and manage a tilapia farm. This provided a skill for life and taught lads management, responsibility, maths and business skills. It also provided opportunities to develop writing skills for English and Business subjects.
The Royal Reading Programme
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The Royal Reading Programme seeks to promote reading programmes for short-term and long-term inmates. Short-term inmates meet in book clubs to discuss short stories, newspaper articles or Internet articles. Inmates who are serving an indefinite time meet for book discussions.
Photo Credit : Guardian Media Limited
The Royal Gaol Library
The Royal Gaol Library, which is currently being developed by the W4W Foundation, provides reading material in traditional and innovative formats for all stakeholders in Royal Gaol. A library committee representing officers and inmates -- including short term inmates, remanded inmates, deportees, convicted and condemned inmates-- provide input into reading material.
Photo Credit : The Children's Ark
The Wishing for Wings Foundation offered certified barbering programmes in Port of Spain Prison, Golden Grove Convict Prison and Remand Prison in Golden Grove through grants provided by the US Embassy.