Caribbean CSR Roundup 2019–2020: Corporate Social Responsibility, Community Impact and COVID-19
A Regional Snapshot of Corporate Giving, Sustainability and Social Investment
The period 2019–2020 marked a defining chapter for corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the Caribbean. Against the backdrop of climate-related disasters, rising social needs, and the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses across the region stepped forward with targeted interventions that supported communities, strengthened resilience, and reinforced the role of the private sector in sustainable development.
This Caribbean CSR Roundup highlights notable initiatives across Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Guyana, Barbados and St. Lucia, capturing how companies responded through disaster relief, education, employee protection, community investment, and local capacity building.
Disaster Relief & Community Support
Cable & Wireless Charitable Foundation Supports Flood Response in Trinidad & Tobago (October 2019)
Following severe flooding across the region, the Cable & Wireless Charitable Foundation
(https://www.cwc.com/foundation) committed more than US$1 million to flood response and mitigation initiatives. In Trinidad & Tobago, the Foundation partnered with Flow
(https://www.discoverflow.co) and the United Way of Trinidad & Tobago
(https://www.unitedwaytt.org) to donate US$100,000, supporting vulnerable communities through rebuilding efforts and long-term disaster awareness programmes.
Related Link: CWC employees support flood relief efforts.
Caribbean Airlines Supports Shelter for Battered Women and Children (November 2019)
Caribbean Airlines
(https://www.caribbean-airlines.com) sponsored the Shelter for Battered Women and Children
(https://www.sheltertt.org) Annual Charity Golf Tournament, supporting renovation works at the long-standing facility that provides counselling, crisis intervention, advocacy and safe accommodation for survivors of domestic violence and their children.
Related Link: Caribbean Airlines supports the Shelter for Battered Women
Education & Youth Scholarships
Caribbean Cement Company Awards Community Scholarships in Jamaica (December 2019)
Caribbean Cement Company Limited
(https://www.caribcement.com) Caribbean Cement is vested in education as a means of societal progress. Caribbean Cement awarded scholarships to twenty students from communities surrounding its operations in Bull Bay and St. Andrew. The company continues to invest in remedial education, infrastructure support and youth development initiatives that reinforce education as a cornerstone of sustainable community growth.
Related Link: Caribbean Cement Company Limited Scholarship programme
Jamaica Energy Partners Launches $17M Scholarship Programme (May 2020)
The Jamaica Energy Partners Group
(https://www.jamaicaenergypartners.com) launched a J$17 million scholarship programme, supporting tertiary students and Primary Exit Profile (PEP) candidates as part of its commitment to human capital development and long-term national advancement.
Corporate Response to COVID-19
Scotiabank Guyana Introduces Customer Assistance Programme (March 2020)
Scotiabank Guyana
(https://www.scotiabank.com/gy) introduced financial relief measures, including loan payment deferrals of up to six months, to support customers impacted by the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Related Link: Scotiabank Guyana’s Covid impacts customer relief
Point Lisas Nitrogen Ltd Supports Fence-Line Communities (March 2020)
Point Lisas Nitrogen Limited (PLNL)
(https://www.plnl.co.tt) PLNL works closely with NGOs and Community Based Organisations, in its delivery of social programmes. During COVID, PLNL partnered with Habitat for Humanity Trinidad & Tobago
(https://habitat-tt.org ) to distribute food hampers and hygiene kits to fence-line communities affected by pandemic-related disruptions.
Ramps Logistics Enables Remote Work for Employees (March 2020)
Ramps Logistics
(https://www.rampslogistics.com) RAMPS implemented work-from-home systems, providing employees with laptops, internet access and personal protective equipment (PPE), demonstrating a people-centred approach to crisis management.
ExxonMobil and Partners Donate $60M to Guyana’s COVID-19 Response (April 2020)
ExxonMobil Guyana
(https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/locations/guyana) ExsonMobil and its Stabroek Block partners contributed more than GY$60 million to Guyana’s COVID-19 response, working alongside the Civil Defence Commission in a commendable collaboration between private and public sector partnership (PPP)
(https://cdc.gy) to support healthcare, food relief and humanitarian initiatives.
Republic Bank and Amalgamated Security Services Strengthen National Health Response (April 2020)
Republic Bank Limited
(https://www.republicbank.co.tt) committed $31.5 million to national COVID-19 relief efforts in Guyana, while Amalgamated Security Services Limited
(https://assl.com) donated appliances, face masks and sanitation supplies to support public health institutions in Trinidad & Tobago.
Related Link: ASSL is Saving Lives
Food Security & Community Relief
Proman Trinidad Distributes Food Hampers and Supports Local Farmers (May 2020)
Proman Trinidad
(https://www.proman.org) Proman boosted food security distributed more than 3,500 food hampers in collaboration with community partners, while sourcing produce from local farmers—supporting both food security and agricultural livelihoods.
Related Link: Proman donates over TT$1M in its COVID relief
GraceKennedy Employees Support Food Distribution Efforts (August 2020)
Employees of GraceKennedy Money Services (TT) Ltd
(https://www.gracekennedy.com) contributed food hampers to the Living Water Community
(https://www.livingwatercommunity.org), reinforcing the company’s culture of employee-led social responsibility.
Related Links: GraceKennedy Trinidad donates food hampers
Supporting Frontline Workers & Essential Services
RUBiS and Nestlé Jamaica Honour Frontline Workers (May 2020)
RUBiS Energy Jamaica
(https://rubis-energy.com) and Nestlé Jamaica
(https://www.nestle.com) RUBiS Energy Jamaica and Nestle Jamaica joined In recognizing the service and sacrifice of healthcare and protective services during the COVID pandemic by providing complimentary beverages to healthcare workers and members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force and the Jamaica Defence Force (https://jdfmil.org).(https://jcf.gov.jm)
Angostura Donates 7,000 Bottles of Hand Sanitiser to Schools (June 2020)
Angostura Limited
(https://www.angostura.com ) In keeping with a focus on student wellbeing, Angostura donated more than 7,000 bottles of hand sanitiser to schools across Trinidad & Tobago, supporting safe examination environments for SEA, CSEC and CAPE students.
Employment, Inclusion & Youth Empowerment
NWC Jamaica Creates Opportunities for At-Risk Youth (July 2020)
The National Water Commission (Jamaica)
(https://www.nwcjamaica.com) The National Water Commission in Jamaica is building skills and giving youth an entry into the world of work. The NWC employed over 300 at-risk youth through its Customer Census Mapping Project, providing skills training and pathways to long-term employment.
NWC helps at-risk youth in Jamaica
Digicel Maintains Paralympian Sponsorship (September 2020)
Digicel Jamaica
(https://www.digicelgroup.com) Digicel Jamaica continues to invest in sport by ensuring inclusivity. Digicel renewed its sponsorship of Paralympian Alphonso Cunningham and continued its support for Special Olympics Jamaica
(https://specialolympicsjamaica.org).
Related Link: Digicel supports Paralympian
Local Content & Supplier Development in Guyana
TechnipFMC Advances Local Content and Supplier Development
TechnipFMC
(https://www.technipfmc.com) continues to strengthen Guyana’s oil and gas service ecosystem through supplier audits, capacity building and workforce development. Since 2017, the company has certified five Guyanese suppliers and employed twenty-seven nationals, contributing to sustainable local participation in the energy sector.
Related Link: Technip committed to Guyana
Why This Caribbean CSR Roundup Matters
From disaster relief and education to pandemic response and local supplier development, these initiatives highlight how strategic CSR in the Caribbean supports resilience, trust and long-term value creation.
As the region navigates economic recovery and social transformation, these examples demonstrate that well-executed CSR is not peripheral—it is a critical component of sustainable business and national development.
Importantly, private sector investment and partnership with governments in societal wellbeing and progress is a critical factor in national development.
Related Link: Respectful private-public partnerships key to national development