Youth poets speak up on gender-based violence

After seven weeks of mentorship, upcoming spoken-word artistes in the Mayaro community put their training to the test in an online poetry competition hosted by Project Elevation.

Poets in the five-25 years category were tutored via online mentorship sessions with practitioners of the artform.

The programme ended on August 28 with the poetry slam competition. The young poets delivered four-minute compositions expressing opinions, thoughts, and concerns about gender-based violence in TT.

Renditions were judged on articulation, content, presentation, impact and use of voice and body. The ten participants' poems were expertly written and delivered, said a media release. However, Dabria Baptiste of Ortoire Village, Mayaro, was awarded the first prize for her poem No Basis in the young adult category. Gabrielle Abdool of Radix Village, Mayaro, was second with a stellar performance titled Just Breathe, and third place went to Wendy Ann Dyer's piece of Hope.

Unicomer (Trinidad) Ltd sponsored the prizes and took keen interest in the competition’s framework to actively engage young performers in the arts to build their capacity to speak out against social issues.

In the release, Unicomer's PRO Shahad Ali said, “The level of skill and language used by the young poets were beyond my expectations. These are the initiatives that will foster critical thinking and future innovators of forthcoming generations.”

Cultural ambassador and multi-award-winning spoken word poet Zakiya Gill, the project co-ordinator of Project Elevation, thanked all sponsors.

“Our team must express our sincerest thanks to Unicomer (Trinidad) Ltd for playing an active role in our programme. We must also extend our sincerest thanks to Nariva Mayaro District Youth Council, Trinidad Youth Council, Mayaro Positive, Ma Guaya Youth Foundation, I Believe in Success Foundation as well as S&S Persad's Supermarket Co Ltd,” Gill said.

Programme mentors also included Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Ayanna Webster-Roy, Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe, Minister of Education Nyan Gadbsy-Dolly, councillors Renelle Kissoon and Wendell Perez, Cavelle Joseph-St Omer, Aneesa Paul of AP Counselling Services, Patrick Phillips, and youth advocate Ariel Saunders. The mentors made themselves available to speak with all participants virtually.

The winners:

Young Adults

1st – Dabria Baptiste

2nd – Gabrielle Abdool (Most Outstanding Student)

3rd – Wendy Ann Dyer

Most Outstanding Student, 11-14 Camelia Ramdass

Five-nine years:

1st – Dwayne-Paul Lares (Most Outstanding Student)

2nd – Alejandro Ramrattan

People’s Choice –Damali Warner