EPIC Champions Environmental Sustainability and Sport for Development Across T&T

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago – 27 April 2026 – The Digicel Foundation, in collaboration with Shell Trinidad and Tobago, celebrated the successful completion of five Environmental Sustainability and Sport for Development projects under the EPIC (Extraordinary Projects Impacting Communities) grant programme 2025-2026 at a joint launch event on Friday 24th April.

The event also marked the official launch of a Solar-Powered Emergency Centre by SEWA International TT in Piarco, a resilience infrastructure project that will serve over 1,000 underserved individuals annually in Piarco and its environs.

The five EPIC projects represent a TT$500,000 investment as part of a broader TT$1 million allocation by the Digicel Foundation and Shell T&T for the 2025-2026 EPIC cohort. The event celebrated the successful completion of projects by the following non-profit organisations:

●       Sisters Uplifting Sisters – A solar-powered hydroponics greenhouse

●       SMILE – ‘Autumn Nexus’, a sports intervention programme for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

●       Trinidad and Tobago Scouts Association – Upcycling plastics into picnic benches

●       SEWA International TT – Solar-powered emergency centre in Piarco

●       Fyzabad United Sport Club – Community homework centre supported by sport intervention

"These five organisations represent the very best of community-led innovation in Trinidad and Tobago,” shared Sacha Thompson, Chair of Digicel Trinidad & Tobago and Board Director of the Digicel Foundation. “Whether it is harnessing solar energy to power emergency services, using sport to support children with ASD, or turning discarded plastics into functional community assets, each of these projects is a powerful example of what community-led organisations can achieve when given the right resources and support."

“At Shell, we see these efforts as part of a broader transition, one where communities are not just beneficiaries, but partners and leaders. Where innovation is not confined to labs or boardrooms, but is alive in our communities, schools, and shared spaces across this country,” emphasised Ryssa Brathwaite, Social and Performance Advisor at Shell Trinidad and Tobago.

In 2025, the Digicel Foundation and Shell T&T entered into a landmark three-year partnership to jointly fund the EPIC programme, representing a combined investment of TT$3.8 million.

Now in its tenth year, EPIC is a grant programme that has supported 170 community projects across specific thematic areas, including Technology/Digitalisation, Environmental Sustainability, and Sport for Development.