Murals unveiled in San Fernando

On Tuesday, the UNTT unveiled two murals at the bandstand of Harris Promenade, San Fernando, telling of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) story of the southern city.

Amanda Solano, head of protection at UNHCR (TT), said the murals were a gift to the nation on the 60th anniversary of independence and 60 years of being a member of the UN. She hopes the two murals will be a beacon of hope and inspiration and a reminder of the greatness of TT.

"We hope these murals would serve as a reminder to thousands of San Fernandians, as well as other visitors, of the role of TT and the world to implement the SDGs by 2030," Solano said in her welcome remarks.

The unveiling ceremony took place at Harris Promenade. The initiative was a collaborative effort with the San Fernando City Corporation (SFCC) and UN-affiliated agencies like the UNHCR and the UN Women.

Solano said the UN team has been working with the government and civil-society organisations to promote the 17 SDGs, including the global aspiration for SDG implementation by 2030.

The UN, she said, is pleased with the support it has received from stakeholders, including the Planning Ministry, to help TT achieve these goals.

Solano said, "From a humanitarian perspective, it is important to reflect that achieving these goals would mean a healthier, safer, cleaner, greener and more equitable world and ultimately a better life for everyone."

She said looking at the achievements shown in the murals gives hope and evidence that the SDG objectives are attainable.

Quality education, goal number four on the SDGs, has long been a source of pride for TT, with San Fernando having some of the best schools in the country.

She said the San Fernando General and Teaching Hospital is a world-class example of SDG goal number three: good health and well-being.

Mayor Junia Regrello gave a history of the promenade and added the city has long held the reputation of a cauldron of artistic excellence across multiple genres.

"Today, we proudly present a commemoration of an accumulation of talent of our citizens past and present to inspire those of the future," Regrello said.

Only now, he said, does society understand the breath, scope, and magnitude of possibilities that a successful career in the arts and culture industry can provide.

"The successes of Machel Montano and Kes rest firmly on the shoulder of luminaries such as Black Stalin and Ras Shorty I," he said in his remarks.

San Fernando West MP Faris Al-Rawi shared some of the work being done by the Rural Development and Local Government Ministry, which he leads. He said beautification work is ongoing at the nearby hospital.

He added that in terms of commerce in San Fernando, people could boast of city redevelopment.

He complimented SFCC on its performance, saying the corporation was the "leader in the pack" with 95 per cent efficiency two months before financial year-end.

He said as MP, he assured that all pleas for traffic management are being co-ordinated.

San Fernando East MP Brian Manning, son of the late prime minister Patrick Manning, also spoke. Manning reminisced about his childhood days spent in San Fernando.

He said his father grew up in Cocoyea and walked to and from school every day. His father’s father never owned a car but used a bike.

He told the small gathering there is one San Fernando, adding the achievement of San Fernando West benefits San Fernando East and vice versa. The west side, he said, is the industrial side, while the east is more residential.

His father’s image was among many familiar faces, like that of former prime minister Basdeo Panday, in one of the murals.

For health reasons, Panday did not attend, but his daughter Mickela Panday read a note from him.

Panday recalled that at 12, he went to live in San Fernando with his great-uncle, who worked as a law clerk. Through his uncle’s generosity, Panday attended Presentation College and later worked as a note-taker at the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court.

There he was exposed to the "brilliant minds" of men like Rupert Archibald, QC, Frank Misir, Arnold Chatoor, and JB Kelshall, all of whom had offices nearby, as well as a plethora of magistrates such as Errol Roopnarine.

"I also recall the cell at the police station when in 1975, the major trade unions representing oil and sugar workers marched in San Fernando and were met by brutal police resistance," Mickela read. "This historic march became known as Bloody Tuesday. Perhaps it was this incident that made me enter into politics, a venture that had unforeseen results and the history."

The artwork for the murals was done by Warren Le Platte, a graphic artist who works at Newsday.