The moment that changed everything for teacher Shanna Dindial came when three young men from her Fyzabad community — boys who had once called her “Aunty” — were arrested for murder.
For Dindial, it was a stark reminder of what can happen when children grow up without the educational support, guidance and positive influences they need. Seeing many students struggling to keep up at school while their families could not afford extra lessons, she resolved to do something that could change their path.
What began as offering lessons in an old shed in 2022, has grown into Shanna’s El Roi Community Homework Centre on John Jules Trace in Fyzabad.
Partnering with Andre Barnard, Founder and Club Administrator of Fyzabad United Football Club, who had witnessed many of the same challenges through youth football, the pair successfully secured TT$100,000 in grant funding from the Digicel Foundation’s Extraordinary Projects Impacting Communities (EPIC) programme, delivered in partnership with Shell Trinidad and Tobago.
The EPIC grant enabled the transformation of a 20-by-10-foot prefabricated container into a fully equipped, solar-powered learning space that provides vacation and after-school academic support, supervision and mentorship for children and families across Fyzabad.
“Growing up in poverty, I made a decision—by God’s grace—that my circumstances would not define my future,” shared Dindial. “I promised God, El Roi, that if I became a teacher, I would support children who were once in my position, children who needed guidance, encouragement and someone to believe in them.”
Although the school term has ended, the centre remains active with July/August (JAVA) vacation camps offered at a nominal cost, ensuring children continue learning in a safe and supportive environment.
The centre is open for registration of children ages five and up for both its vacation camps and after-school programme. Led by certified teachers, the programmes combine academics, sport and the arts to support children’s holistic development. The JAVA camp includes football, tennis, music, dance and agriculture activities.
More importantly, Dindial says the centre offers parents something every family wants: confidence that their children are spending their time in a safe environment surrounded by positive role models.
“This homework centre exists to ensure that children receive the academic, emotional and moral support they need,” she said. “Beyond academics, we emphasise values such as respect, cooperation and responsibility because we want our children to grow into confident, compassionate and responsible citizens.”
Launched in 2016, the Digicel Foundation’s EPIC programme supports community organisations delivering practical, sustainable solutions to the challenges facing their communities. Now celebrating its 10th year, EPIC has funded 170 projects across Trinidad and Tobago, empowering community leaders like Shanna Dindial and Andre Barnard to transform compassion into action and create opportunities that can change lives for generations to come.