Kamla Persad Bissessar:
I’m deeply saddened at this immeasurable loss. Now, although my heart is heavy with grief, I am comforted in the pride that Ms. Bhagwansingh was one of us. She was a woman among women, and an extraordinary woman among men, in Trinidad and Tobago.
Sometimes, in the outpouring of grief and the paying of tributes at a person’s passing, we look for superlatives, but for Ms. Bhagwansingh, superlatives are limited.
In my eyes, Helen Bhagwansingh was beyond monumental; she was a genius. She was a genius for all her accomplishments in testing situations where there were no forerunners; male or female. Her ingenuity shone through her acumen at business – especially in an area dominated by men. Her ingenuity shone through in her foresight, leadership, and philanthropy in good times and bad.
Her ingenuity also, although she may not have known the expanse, was an exemplar for many of our nation’s girls and women. She was a constant to her children, the children of her siblings, and the children of Trinidad and Tobago. She was known for giving.
Helen was the last sibling in a highly successful family of business owners.
Together with her brother Jack, a ground-breaking industrialist, Rajpaul, a hardware proprietor, and her sister, Betty, they founded the well-known industrial enterprise: the Bhagwansingh and Dansteel chain of hardware stores, and also Centrin, the first privately-owned downstream manufacturer in the Point Lisas Industrial Estate. This was truly a family of Caribbean pioneers.
Through her prowess in business administration, her leadership capabilities and foresight, she left several signatures in Caribbean entrepreneurship and made the name Bhagwansingh a household name.
As a visionary, an entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Helen had an enduring impact on the business community, on our society, and in particular, on the youth, especially young women and girls.
To the scores of young women and men whose lives she not only touched, but shaped forever, she was the hallmark of support. Sometimes they thought of her as superhuman, wondering how could one who works so hard for such long hours, also have time, and smiles, for everyone regardless of position.
As someone who cared deeply about people’s health and quality of life, she actively supported a number of humanitarian causes, being a major contributor to DERPI, the Diabetes Education Research and Prevention Institute at the University of the West Indies.
In 2000, Helen was most deserving of the accolade “Woman of the Millennium” by The Energy Chamber. In 2011 I had the great honour of bestowing upon her, our nation’s highest award: the Order of Trinidad and Tobago. This surprised no one.
Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean are decidedly poorer with the passing of the incomparable Ms. Helen Bhagwansingh. She was undoubtedly one of our country’s most accomplished post-Independence women, and private sector leaders.
We are eternally grateful for having known her: her exceptional achievements and warm, welcoming personality will forever be remembered. Ms. Bhagwansingh’s legacy can be considered a virtue for all Caribbean women.
For many generations to come, we may not yet see another like Helen Bhagwansingh.
I extend my deepest condolences to her family, business associates, employees, and many other loved ones.