TUESDAY 19 MARCH 2024, PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO – Health-conscious consumers will soon benefit from a community project that will increase rabbit meat production in Trinidad and Tobago.

As part of its Extraordinary Projects Impacting Communities (EPIC) programme, the Digicel Foundation in partnership with Shell Trinidad and Tobago donated TT$100,000 to the One Seed for Change organisation to train residents from Heights of Guanapo in rabbit farming. The project was part of One Seed’s ‘Fork to Feed’ initiative.

Over eight weeks, 75 trainees learned how to make pellet feed from grasses, how to handle the animals, proper slaughtering methods, and how to cook rabbit delicacies. The project closed off on Sunday 3^rd March with a lime at the Palms River in Guanapo where participants talked about what they had learned and discussed their entrepreneurial plans for the future. Participants expressed an interest in creating new dishes, including rabbit gyros.

Speaking at the gathering, Ryssa Braithwaite, Social Performance and Social Investment Advisor at Shell Trinidad and Tobago said, “There is nothing more powerful than when a group of like-minded individuals come together, with a common vision to transform their communities.  Shell is proud to have partnered with the Digicel Foundation and One Seed for Change to bring such an important project to the Guanapo community—one that will change lives and improve livelihoods.”

Cindyann Currency, Head of Operations at the Digicel Foundation said, “We’re looking forward to a future of sustainable animal rearing in the Heights of Guanapo, knowing that it all started with an EPIC grant.”

The president of One Seed for Change, Lorraine Waldropt Fergusson, congratulated the participants and promised that their collaboration with the community had only just started. She said, “I am most proud of the fact that the project passed the litmus test of being a successful grassroots model for harnessing the golden talents, entrepreneurial enthusiasm, production passion and wisdom from communities otherwise branded and stereotyped as ‘hot spots’. Through this project, these communities became ‘hot hubs’ for learning, skills training, agricultural entrepreneurship, food production and livelihood improvement.”

Last year, the Digicel Foundation and Shell Trinidad and Tobago received 117 applications for EPIC grants. Ten organisations were chosen for a total investment of TT$1million. This year’s EPIC programme focuses on projects in the areas of Agriculture, the Environment, and Renewable Energy.

Rabbit culinary facts (Sourced from WebMD)

• The meat has a mild flavour and tender texture that absorbs seasoning well in stews and stir-fries.
• Lean protein, so won’t contribute to high cholesterol or heart disease.
• A 100-gram portion of rabbit meat contains 29.1 grams of protein and 197 calories. (By contrast,100 grams of ribeye steak contains 291 calories.)
• Rabbit meat is rich in vitamins B12 and E, while also having a higher concentration of most minerals.
• Low in sodium, so good choice for people with high blood pressure. 
• To cook thoroughly, rabbit meat should reach 160°F on a cooking thermometer.