radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
T&T’s ragga-soca king General Grant has pledged support for a cleanup campaign in the south city, producing a clean-up song to galvanise others into action.
The public release of the song came as San Fernando resident Tracyann Gomez led two dozen children in a clean-up campaign in commemoration of World Environment Day yesterday.
Gomez followed in the footsteps of Mon Repos Navet councillor Nigel Couttier, who, together with volunteers, have been cleaning the homes of the elderly for the past three months.
When Guardian Media arrived on the scene yesterday, the children were seen picking up old bottles and debris strewn at the sides of New Bold Street, St Joseph, Bertrand Street and other parts of Navet, San Fernando.
Gomez said it was time to take back the children from the criminals and get them involved in civic duties.
She said while academia was important, children should also be taught environmental preservation.
“We have to teach them to clean up after themselves and to take care of their surroundings,” she said.
Gomez noted that several community initiatives have been underway over the past few weeks.
“We need to take back our communities. This is the second clean-up. We are trying to open a library at Motown panyard and on Saturdays, we have lessons for the children for free.”
She added, “If children start now, later on, it will be easier for children to cherish what they have in their communities. It is easy now for a child to get a gun and work with it, they don’t need a manual. But if you teach them not only book work but also life skills, survival skills, how to protect what they have, it will be better.”
Gomez also issued a call to citizens to join the cause.
“I would like artistes, MPs, councillors and housewives to come on board. You can do simple things, you don’t need money. Buy bags and get to work to improve your communities,” she said.
Meanwhile, Curtis “General Grant” Grant said he was pleased to join the cause to improve T&T. Grant, who lives in New York, said he was inspired by Couttier and his volunteers.
“I have to pass the baton and let young people know the importance of protecting their surroundings. This is a Caribbean place and we have to treat T&T better and keep it cleaner, more tropical,” General Grant said.
He added: “If we don’t preserve our environment, what we know and have grown up with will be lost. Our children will not know our Trini roots. We have to plant back the local fruit trees. Some children don’t know about fruits like pado and fat pork. We have to teach them to protect what we have before we lose everything.”
Couttier said since his story was aired, he has received numerous calls from people who want to get on board with the community initiatives, as well as elderly people in need of help.
“This song is inspirational. Having the support of General Grant is a privilege. It’s a plus and more people should reach out to people like General Grant and other icons like him who could mould the young people and get them away from crime,” Couttier said.
