Students at St Jude’s Home for Girls will continue to benefit from the Art and Wellness Mentorship Programme facilitated by Chosen Hands, following a commitment of support from the bmobile Foundation.
A release from Chosen Hands reports on the renewed partnership between the bmobile Foundation and the non-profit organisation.
Chosen Hands was founded by Creative Director Anika Plowden-Corentin. It is a non-profit Art and Wellness creative program which uses art as a vehicle for personal development, healing and self-expression. It is a network of mobile artists and professionals who actively choose to use their time, talent and resources to create a safe space and positive shift in the minds of the young participants. Participating artists in the program work to nurture, empower and transform the lives of those in society who are most in need.
For the past few years, Plowden-Corentin has worked closely with local and international artists, corporate Trinidad and Tobago, youth mentors and professionals, to use art as a vehicle for wellness, creativity, entrepreneurship and healing for the girls who reside at the St. Jude's Home.
“Chosen Hands primarily uses art to promote wellness, education, mentorship and developmental opportunities using the "Shout and Echo" concept. This means that each student at St Jude's Home is paired with a mentor during art and wellness sessions, creating an educational space in art and a space for sharing and personal growth,” the Chosen Hands founder explained.
The Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT), via its bmobile Foundation, has committed to being part of the Chosen Hands’ solution.
“The work of education in all forms is crucial to the development of young people in T&T,” observed Darryl Duke, Acting General Manager Enterprise Services at TSTT. "For more than two decades, bmobile has found that partnerships with non-profit organisations like Chosen Hands is just one of the ways that we continue to support youth development and education through the bmobile Foundation.”
“This represents the truest form of partnership for us as the indigenous telecom provider, with not only excellent outcomes through self-initiated funding for the St Jude's Home, but also allows for an avenue of personal development and discovery for the young participants," he added.
According to Anika Plowden-Corentin, students in the programme have seen their hope restored, as she pointed to its life-changing effectiveness.
“The art and wellness sessions allow the mentors in various disciplines to take down their guard and share their life’s experiences, their pitfalls and triumphs, which in turn help these young lives navigate their own challenges,” she revealed. “It is a beautiful experience to witness when that thing that is holding the students back from soaring, unlocks. And they start freely expressing their dreams through art.”
According to Plowden-Corentin, “it is critical to invest in the development of well-rounded human beings. Not in only words but by small actions that move things forward.”
She added: "Whether we choose to admit it or not, we all have had someone or a community of persons who anchored us when we were in need of a helping hand. The Chosen Hands Art and Wellness Mentorship Programme finds a simple way to help heal hurting hearts and provide this generation—the future generations—with hope."
Chosen Hands recently hosted the Colours of Hope Exhibition to showcase the brilliant creative outcomes of the students' work.
Held at the historic Rotunda Gallery at the Red House, the exhibition featured over 90 art pieces created mainly during the pandemic by the students of St. Jude's and their mentors.
"It was important for the girls to see their work displayed among the work of renowned artists and mentors in Trinidad and Tobago,” asserted Chosen Hands founder, Anika Plowden-Corentin. “It was such an uplifting and empowering moment for our students and a feeling of great pride for our mentors."
Chosen Hands Director, Arveon Prout, noted the exhibition was supported by corporate entities including bmobile and was well attended by a range of visitors, including fellow artists, other NGOs, Government Ministers, corporate sponsors. Also viewing the exhibition were members of the Diplomatic Corps, namely Argentina, Chile, Colombia, European Union, Mexico, Panama, Spain, United Kingdom.
"It is important for us that the exhibition is seen beyond our shores and provides a beacon of hope and feeling of pride not just to the girls of St. Jude's, but to all Trinidad and Tobago citizens locally and in the diaspora as well, " Arveon Prout noted.
The exhibition made it possible for Chosen Hands to present a cheque for $30,500 to the Management of St. Jude's School for Girls on Friday 4th February 2022. In addition to the cheque, the NGO presented St Jude’s with a donation of hampers filled with hand sanitizers from LSA Healthcare Services Limited.