2 weeks ago
5
There will be hundreds of fetes this Carnival season, but few exist purely to help those most in need. For years, businesswoman and philanthropist Hannah Janoura has dedicated her Carnival fundraiser to providing wheelchairs for people across Trinidad and Tobago who cannot afford them.
On Friday night, she hosted her annual event at Mille Fleurs, where every ticket purchased represented a wheelchair for someone in need. Janoura said she has already given out more than 1,200 wheelchairs over the years and has ordered another 200, which she expects to distribute between April and May. “Everyone must come in and register and bring a letter from a doctor,” she explained, adding that the system helps ensure assistance reaches those who genuinely need it.
“This occasion here, we have just sold a little over 400 tickets, and I hope I can make it just enough to pay for the wheelchairs. So I’m looking forward to all of whatever,” Janoura said.
This year’s show featured Full Blown, Nadia Batson, and, once again, Machel Montano, who all performed free of charge. Montano first approached Janoura last year, looking for a meaningful way to help children in Trinidad and Tobago.
“It started off with Machel saying that he wanted to do something for the country and for the children in the country. So I approached him, and I said, ‘Why not work with me, and we’re going to do something for the country,’” she explained.
She said both he and Batson willingly offered their talents to support the cause, describing Montano as “really a beautiful person to work with”.
The event also benefited from significant volunteer support, including design and décor work done without charge, with celebrated designer Brian MacFarlane among those contributing.
Janoura said she intends to continue expanding the initiative and hopes to maintain the partnership into future Carnival seasons, as she continues her mission to help the vulnerable and “give back to the country”.
—Kejan Haynes
English (US) ·