TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO — Veni Apwaan marked a new chapter for civil society Tuesday with the launch of its IG-NITE CSOs Micro-Credential Scholarship Programme. The effort equips nonprofits with internationally recognized certifications in governance, financial management, project management and human resources through flexible e-learning.

Founded more than 20 years ago, Veni Apwaan grew from a 2001-2002 leadership training session run by the Institute of Business. Thirty NGO leaders participated. Ten decided to channel their new skills into a permanent organization. Sandra Pyke-Anthony, founding member and current chairman, and Colleen Davis, board secretary, have steered the group since.

The name Veni Apwaan translates to ‘come and learn’ and ‘come and teach’ in Creole. That dual mission shapes its work. Early efforts focused on capacity building and internal strengthening for community groups delivering essential services. Passion drove those outfits, officials said, but systems and training were scarce.

Over time, Veni Apwaan built four pillars: capacity building, organizational strengthening, research and advocacy. Training remains core. Advocacy ramped up in the past decade to widen civic space and support collaboration. In 2015, the NGO advised the Ministry of Tertiary Education on a Cabinet note. That led to full government subsidies for on-the-job training stipends at nonprofits, easing a key financial hurdle.

From 2017 to 2020, Veni Apwaan hosted NGO Professional Conferences backed by donors like the JB Fernandes Trust. Each drew 75 to 100 organizations. Participants swapped ideas, built skills and forged partnerships. Donors joined the table too, sparking direct talks between funders and groups on the ground.

The group kept pace with national needs. In 2021, a project with the Cropper Foundation trained 15 CSOs on Trinidad and Tobago’s international environmental commitments. Partners included the Green Fund. Sessions clarified funding processes and boosted access for environmental work.

Now IG-NITE takes center stage. Pyke-Anthony and Davis lead it alongside the Cropper Foundation. The program develops a National Accountability Framework. It offers self-assessment tools, technical clinics and shared resources. All CSOs qualify, from startups to established players. Certifications go to individuals and their organizations alike.

“We’re standardizing systems to show transparency and impact,” Pyke-Anthony said in a statement. The push matches Veni Apwaan’s founding insight: passion builds momentum, but accountability and skills ensure staying power.

Conferences and trainings have convened rivals and allies before. Results stuck. The 2001 cohort’s decision not to shelve their knowledge launched a national movement. Today, with donor support, Veni Apwaan invites the sector to learn, teach and scale up together. Hundreds of CSOs stand to gain credentials that signal professionalism to public and private backers.

Applications opened this week. Organizers expect broad uptake. Past efforts trained dozens directly and rippled wider through networks. IG-NITE aims bigger, blending online access with hands-on support to embed sustainability across Trinidad and Tobago’s nonprofit landscape.