If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14
Young TnT Onward
Executive Board
Director
Haliyma Barrow
[email protected]
Associate Director Trinidad and Tobago Representative to the US
Annmicha Blugh
[email protected]
Assistant Director Trinidad and Tobago Representative
Brianne Adams
[email protected]
Mission Statement
To promote an enriching environment for Trinidad and Tobago nationals to grow spiritually, artistically, academically and professionally.
Motto
Peace-Respect-Accomplishment-Youthfulness-Efficiency-Resourc efulness (PRAYER)
Establishment
Young TnT Onward is a non-profit organization which was born out of a need to provide a platform for the young people of Trinidad and Tobago to realize their full potential in the midst of mounting challenges.
Objectives
• To expose the youth of TnT to positive role models both in the school and community setting
• To provide valuable services and activities for the youth of TnT to harness their talents inside and outside the school environment
• To empower the youth of TnT to make positive life choices and to encourage them to become productive members of their communities and society at large
• To network with NGOs in Trinidad and Tobago and to educate citizens about making use of the services provided by these organizations
• To host events that promote peace, love and unity and to inspire our citizenry to live in harmony
PROJECT RESTORATION
This program was launched on October 17th 2006 with the release of an online petition that seeks the passage and amendment of specific laws to attend to the escalating crime rate of Trinidad and Tobago.
Program’s Goals
• To take the perpetrators of crimes committed in Trinidad and Tobago off the streets and place them in a setting where restorative approaches (of restorative justice) can be utilized to aid in the restoration of the harm inflicted or revealed by the criminal behavior of these individuals
Click here to learn more about restorative justice
• To obtain closure for the families who have lost their loved ones to crimes in Trinidad and Tobago
.."#FF6633">Crimes committed against children in Trinidad and Tobago:
Since 2003 there has been an increase in crimes committed against children in Trinidad and Tobago. These innocent beings have fallen victim to a vicious cycle of kidnappings and child abuse.
In 2003 there were 142 reported kidnappings of which 51 were ransom-related. During that year children became prominent targets for the kidnapping rage that ripped through the twin-island state of Trinidad and Tobago. Here’s a list of children’s abductions that occurred between January-April 2003 that were recorded in the Trinidad Guardian:
January 22-Merita Hector, 16, of La Brea was snatched outside her home. A $200,000 ransom was demanded. She escaped two days later.
March 14-Micah Bernard, 9, of Barataria was snatched by a gunman after attending a birthday party at his cousin’s home. He was released five days later in Aranguez. The ransom demand of $300,000 was not paid.
March 19-Adriana Ramsingh, 8, of Barataria was kidnapped by armed men in front of her home. She was rescued by police hours later in Mt D’or. A ransom of $8 million was demanded, but was not paid. Three men have been charged.
April 2-Geewan Geelal, 13, of San Juan was snatched by two armed men on Aranguez Main Road outside his home as he was being taken to school. A $3 million ransom had been demanded for his release. However, $200,000 was reportedly paid and he was released three days later.
April 3- Cindy Mahasse, 13, of Valencia was snatched by three masked, armed men who stormed her parents’ home. A ransom of $15,000 was demanded.
Child abuse cases, on the other hand, have dominated the 2006 list of crimes committed against children in Trinidad and Tobago. For that year four children (Dane Andrews, Sean Luke, Amy Emily Annamunthodo and Parmanand Persad) have died at the hands of sexual predators. Of these four cases five people have been captured and brought before the courts in connection with the Annamunthodo, Luke, and Persad cases, while the perpetrator of Andrews’ murder has yet to be detained.
Like Andrews, Akiel Chambers’ murderer is yet to be brought to justice for his death which occurred in May 1998. Chambers went missing during a classmate’s birthday party on May 23, 1998 and his body was discovered the following morning at the bottom of his classmate’s swimming pool.
Details surrounding the deaths of Chambers, Andrews, Luke, Annamunthodo and Persad:
The autopsy of 11-year-old Akiel Chambers revealed that he was buggered. Semen was found in his anus, indicating he was sexually molested before he died. Murder was suspected.
The body of 12-year-old Dane Andrews was found in a pond near his New Grant home on February 2, 2006, and according to Trinidad Guardian "he was he was clad in a short pants and his underwear was on the bank of the pond." Andrews' autopsy "revealed that he was buggered and subsequently died as a result of asphyxia consistent with drowning."
Six-year old Sean Luke went missing on March 26, 2006. His body was found in a canefield approximately 300 feet away from his home on March 28, 2006. Trinidad Guardian reported that "District Medical Officer Indarjit Birjah, who examined the body, said the corpse was decomposing and had been eaten by ants." Luke's autopsy revealed that he was sodomised with a cane stalk and his internal organs were ruptured as a result. Two teenagers (ages 13 and 16) have been charged with Luke's murder.
According to police reports four-year-old Amy Emily Annamunthodo "had been locked in a room and a piece of cloth was stuffed into her mouth to muffle her screams as she was raped and buggered" on May 15, 2006. Following this incident Emily’s mother and stepfather took her to the San Fernando General Hospital, where she died shortly after arrival. An autopsy revealed that Emily died as a result of being beaten, raped, buggered and tortured with cigarette butts. Emily’s mother and stepfather have been charged with her murder.
Thirteen-year-old Parmanand Persad was found naked with his head smashed in, throat slit, chop wounds on his back and chest and his teeth missing at an empty house near his Enterprise, Chaguanas home on October 29, 2006. Police said the boy was raped and buggered. An autopsy later confirmed that Persad was sexually assaulted and his spine was broken. A 33-year-old man has been held in connection with his murder.
Besides the kidnapping and child abuse cases, children are being caught in the middle of domestic disputes. On Father’s Day of 2006 Seeta Supersad sent her two children to spend the day with their father, Annand Supersad, from whom she had recently separated. According to news reports the latter forced his children Lily, 7, and Adesh, 6, to consume a poisonous substance, before ingesting the substance himself. Lily and Annand died shortly after consuming the substance, while Adesh was listed in critical condition at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC). In the last reports on his condition, Adesh was said to be in stable condition at the EWMSC on June 19, 2006.
But the exploitation of children in Trinidad and Tobago does not end here. Children are also being lured into the drug trade. In an article in the Trinidad Guardian on September 3, 2006, Ian Allen, president of Chaguanas Crime Watch, disclosed that “children are being used to peddle drugs on Chaguanas Main Road. We have had reports of street children being used to peddle marijuana and cocaine for a long time now. If this gets out of hand, what next? Will someone start a child prostitution ring in the borough? Crime must stop now and what we need is more public participation to bring greater public awareness to the forefront.â€
Although there are child protection laws in Trinidad and Tobago these laws are not heavily enforced, and there is no specific law that addresses sexual crimes against children.
DON’T BE A WOULDA COULDA SHOULDA, BE AN “I DIDâ€
SIGN THE PETITION AND HELP PROTECT THE FUTURE OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
REMEMBER YOUR SIGNATURE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Click here to sign the petition
PS. THERE IS NO CHARGE TO SIGN THE PETITION, BUT YOU HAVE THE OPTION OF CONTRIBUTING FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF THE SITE.
Who can sign the petition?
The petition can be signed by nationals of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as non-nationals who may have a general concern for the events unfolding in Trinidad and Tobago.
Petition’s Goal
To collect 500, 000 signatures.
Significance of your signature on the petition
By signing the petition you are not simply lobbying for laws to be passed, but you are also participating in a program founded on the values of Peace, Respect, Accomplishment, Youthfulness, Efficiency and Resourcefulness (PRAYER).
Your signature would not only facilitate the healing process for families who lost loved ones, but it will also assist in POSITIVELY transforming the lives of existing and potential perpetrators of crime.
What happens after the collection of signatures?
The director of Young TnT Onward would present packages (with the petitions accompanied by supporting documents) to the offices of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of the Attorney General, the Ministry of National Security, the Opposition and the President.
Why are the petitions being forwarded to these offices?
These are the five bodies that are involved in the law-making process in Trinidad and Tobago.
Click here to learn more about the steps that must be taken for a bill to become a law
Ways you can participate in the Save TnT campaign
Create your own banner like the one below and place it on your profile
Place savetnt in your top friends
Post a comment
Send bulletins
Sign the petition
Let's Make A Difference-Save TnT Poem
We need to encourage each other
And try not hate on each other
We need to embrace each other
And try not to race against each other
We need to uplift each other
And try not to create a rift between each other
We need to give advice to each other
And try not to sell vice to each other
We need to believe in each other
And try not to deceive each other
We need to calm the tide
And try not to let our political differences dictate our ride
Copyright © 2006 Haliyma Barrow
-<a href="http://savetnt.thiscause.org</a></p>