PDP's Abby Taylor: 'I want to uplift Tobago'

The Progressive Democratic Patriots’ (PDP) mantra of “putting people before politics” has always resonated with Abby Taylor.

So when the party reached out to her during its screening exercise to contest the Black Rock/Whim/Spring Garden seat for the January 25 THA election, Taylor, 35, willingly accepted.

“I was humbled and excited at the opportunity,” she told Sunday Newsday.

“I have always wanted to be a part of team that is youth-oriented and Tobago-driven and the only party that offered this is the PDP.”

Taylor, a procurement manager at the Tobago Festivals Commission Ltd, is being challenged by the PNM’s Kelvon Morris and independent candidate Anthony Hector.

She said the PDP’s philosophy of “building Tobago, child by child, village by village,” mirrors hers.

“It speaks to a collaborative effort, cohesion and being part of a whole. The philosophy truly speaks to ‘no man being left behind’ which means if I rise, you rise.”

Taylor believes relationships within communities have become too divisive and feels she can play a role in the healing process.

The young candidate said she wants to bring meaningful change to the area.

“As a student of history and culture, I have observed the decline in community spirit in my community and I realised we were not developing at the pace that we should.”

Taylor believes the PDP has people with “bright and workable ideas” who can reignite the spirit of togetherness that once existed in the area.

“I really want to see that presence of community and being a member of the organisation, I am satisfied that we will be able to achieve this goal of reviving that strong sense of community in Tobago once again.”

Taylor is not daunted by the size of the electoral district, one of the largest on the island.

But she observed while the issues confronting it are unique to certain areas, some communities share common challenges.

Taylor cited high unemployment, illegal drug use, lack of sporting facilities, improper infrastructure and bad roads as some of the issues plaguing the electoral district.

“I believe if we had simple things like an ongoing maintenance programme for road repair we wouldn’t have this as a recurring issue.”

The mother of three believes the challenges must to be dealt with on a case by case basis.

“Some of the issues are socially entrenched and you cannot have a blanket response to all of them.”

She said her representation must encourage community spirit and re-create a sense of belonging.

But the PNM’s Morris, on the campaign trail, has accused her of not being an involved member of the community.

He claimed she does not attend functions and events and never even belonged to a church choir.

Taylor disagreed.

“I think the notion of community service has been misrepresented as being flashy and portraying the optics for social media.

“I don’t subscribe to that because in order to be of service to community and to assist someone in need we should focus on the deed.”

The former Scarborough Secondary School student, who holds a masters degree in Carnival Studies from the UTT, said she likes to do things anonymously.

“I don’t have a need to have a visible history of community service. Whenever people called on me for help, I have assisted and I will continue to do that without pomp and ceremony.”

Taylor said she can relate to many of the socio-economic challenges confronting residents.

The Whim native grew up in a single-parent household where money was often hard to come by.

But she said her mother struggled to make ends meet.

“That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing because it has helped shaped me into the woman I am.”

Taylor said her mother gave birth to four children and adopted a cousin.

“She raised us all into five professionals and exemplified resilience and strength. I view her as one of my biggest heroes.”

Taylor said while her mother did not have much financially, she always ensured they had everything they needed.

She said her maternal grandmother also played a critical role in raising them.

“We lived simple and well.”

At St Michael’s Anglican Primary School, Taylor said she developed perseverance and also learnt the value of hard work.

Her mother, she said, encouraged her to read and she also developed a passion for writing. This led to her winning a few essay competitions.

She recalled one of the essays she wrote – The Day My Mother Came To School– was published in a book.

It made her realise that everyone, regardless of their lot in life, can hone their talents and make something of themselves.

As a new PDP member, Taylor described her experience in the party, thus far, as eye-opening.

She said during her walkabouts and interactions, she had had the opportunity to see people in their “true form.

“A lot of people in Tobago are suffering and want to do better but don’t know how.”

Taylor said many Tobagonians are also either misinformed or unaware of the options that are available to them.

“It has been heart-breaking to see the state and condition that most Tobagonians live in and I am grateful to the PDP for allowing me this opportunity to truly see Tobago differently.”

She continued: “Sometimes, people are not privy to what is really going on around us and this experience has allowed me to be appreciative and grateful for what I do have and has made me more of an activist to help change Tobago. We can do so much together than divided.”

Taylor regards PDP leader Watson Duke as a modern manifestation of the freedom-fighters of yesteryear.

“In my readings about most of our former politicians and freedom fighters, you get a sense of their resilience, strength and assertiveness and the ability to be heard. When you are an advocate you have a voice.

“And Watson Duke, to me, is reminiscent of our past freedom fighters. His message and voice are clear and he speaks with passion and assertiveness.”

How has she been able to juggle her roles as mother and candidate?

“I don’t want to say it’s hard but when I reflect on the roles it has been interesting. Both roles are similar as they require patience and time.

“But it can be difficult because it’s hard to split the two to give each their just due.”

Saying she is a mother before anything else, Taylor said the well-being of her children is always first and foremost in her mind.

She said she also has a strong support system of family and friends.

But Taylor said the demands of the campaign have not been as harrowing as she thought it would have been.

She said her eldest daughter has been managing well so far.

If the PDP wins the election, Taylor said she would like to see a greater focus on mental health issues as it relates to pre and post-natal care in the THA.

“This is a personal interest for me.”

She said after having her youngest child, she suffered from post-partum depression but was able to access employee-assisted counselling.

“As a candidate seeking public office, I would really like to see issues related to mental health care, especially related to pre- and post-natal care brought to the fore.”

She believes there are many women suffering from depression but are unaware of their options.

Taylor said mental health care has to be looked at holistically.

“If the parent isn’t well how would it affect the relationship with the child and others and the daily care of a baby?

“This transcends outside of the home because the quality of care in the home affects children, who then go out into the education system and that affects their behaviour at school.”

Taylor said it also affects the women’s relationship with her spouse/partner, colleagues, employers and employees.

“Mental health care is a far-reaching issue but it’s not given the attention it needs.”