Over 70 people, representing dozens of non-governmental and community-based organisations from across the south-eastern community of Mayaro, turned out for a training seminar that marked the 2016 launch of capacity-building workshops organised by energy company BP Trinidad and Tobago.
Hosted at the bpTT Mayaro Resource Centre last week, the session set the agenda for the instructional series that has delivered free training to more than 2,500 people from Mayaro and environs since its inception in 2003.
Ronda Francis, Corporate Responsibility manager, bpTT, explained why this initiative is critical at this juncture: "Internationally, NGOs and CBOs have played a major role in the drive for sustainable development at the community level. This trend is evident in Mayaro where these groups have become the leaders in shaping progress and advancement and that role is now more important than ever. With the current economic situation, including the impact of global energy prices, we feel that it is imperative that we empower these groups with specialised training that will equip them to not only brave the tough times ahead, but also to nurture sustainable development in this community."
As a major part of the training, participants were engaged in an interactive presentation titled, The Energy Sector and Mayaro: An Opportunity for Change. Delivered by noted economist and banker, Terrence Clarke, the session covered a number of critical topics including the global energy market, the future of energy prices, the Trinidad and Tobago energy sector and the way forward for Mayaro.
As one of the younger participants, 19-year-old Kelly Ann Khallawan was grateful for the insight provided by the session, "I am an executive member of the Mayaro Village Council and I am also an economics student at UWI. I believe that I have gained deeper knowledge of global economics and how it impacts directly on Mayaro. They have also indicated that the training sessions going forward will be structured to develop key skills sets that will enable all of the groups to maximise their effectiveness and guide our community forward."
Administered by training agency, Cross and Associates, a two-day workshop will be held each month that will deliver a mix of practical and theoretical understanding of key subject areas including How to Earn an Income from Micro-Agriculture, which will be conducted on the 18th and 19th of May. Other sessions will cover topics such as trauma intervention for the retrenched or unemployed, how to start, manage and operate a small business, managing change, website creation and financial management.
Andrew Cross, lead consultant with Cross and Associates, explained the transformed approach, "We will provide technical training in terms of aspects that are important to weathering the storms of change including entrepreneurial development and budgeting. Given the current reality, however, we will also incorporate psychosocial elements to enable these groups to deal with the most vulnerable in society. This will include training on how to deal with depression, suicidal thoughts and other negative behaviour that can stem from the challenges presented by the current economic situation."