The Honourable Vandana Mohit, Minister of the People, Social Development and Family Services (MPSDFS), together with the Ministry’s Executive, on Thursday, January 29, 2026, met with a team from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to advance discussions on strategic social development initiatives. The IDB delegation was led by Ferdinando Regalia, Social Sector Manager, and Julian Belgrave, Country Representative.
The meeting, which took place at the Ministry’s Head Office, St. Vincent Street, Port of Spain; focused on areas of mutual interest and collaboration, with particular emphasis on projects aimed at strengthening partnerships that promote people-centred growth and national development.
During the discussions, priority was placed on a national campaign against gender-based violence, to be led through the Ministry’s Gender and Child Affairs Divisions. This initiative will also incorporate anti-bullying efforts, with support provided through collaboration with the IDB.
Other key areas discussed included the modernisation of the social sector with training initiatives for caregivers of the elderly and parents caring for children with disabilities. Additionally, talks were held on the modernisation of pension and social welfare management systems, including the upgrade of electronic processing platforms to improve efficiency and service delivery.
Minister Mohit reiterated the Ministry’s unwavering commitment to its mandate of helping, empowering and transforming lives through its programmes and services. She further emphasized that deliberate focus will be placed on ensuring these initiatives reach and benefit the people of Tobago, as well.
IDB Social Sector Manager, Ferdinando Regalia expressed his team’s strong interest in seeing the projects commence at the soonest possible time, underscoring the Bank’s readiness to partner with the Ministry in advancing these critical social interventions.
The engagement signals a strengthened partnership between the Ministry and the IDB, aligned toward building more inclusive, responsive and resilient social systems for Trinidad and Tobago.