00:00It's 20 years since Zeba Peak Mass Camp, headed by brothers Andrew and Anthony Alling, decided
00:06to give back to the country, joining the Hearts and Minds Initiative under the Interagency
00:10Task Force.
00:12It's an anti-crime project enabling children from the communities of Laventille, East Port
00:17of Spain and Environs, to play mass free of charge, facilitated through volunteerism pertaining
00:23to costume making and sponsorship.
00:26Band leader Andrew Alling says 24 areas in Laventille were represented at a meet and
00:31greet held on Saturday, which allowed children and adults in attendance to mingle.
00:37The two things that will change crime in Trinidad is sports and culture.
00:42We don't need no guns, we don't need no cars, all we need is sports and culture.
00:50It brings the communities together in a competitive way, they enjoy themselves and they have fun.
00:56And that fun is freedom to those who would normally be barred from associating with each
01:01other because of boundaries set by warring gangs.
01:04So we have 24 areas, and on the road only one child or two children from that area will
01:10be in a section, so they have to get to know 24 different areas.
01:14We remove the borders, there are no borders.
01:17The person who lives on the other street is not the enemy, he's your friend.
01:20And when it starts at the children, we can change it.
01:23United States Ambassador to TNT Candace Bond has been a supporter of the initiative for
01:28the past two years.
01:29She underscores the importance of culture in a message to the children as she prepares
01:34to the meet office soon.
01:36And when you go back to your communities, remember that you are an ambassador and that
01:41you are going to keep the beating heart of your country and your culture alive and well.
01:47So I'm just, this is my last event of my term here over two years.
01:52I couldn't think of a better place to be.
01:55Bond was presented with a plaque in recognition of her support for the project during her
01:59tenure.
02:00Wife of Prime Minister Rowley, Sharon Clark Rowley, is one of the patrons of the initiative.
02:06She praises the parents for their devotion, saying there would be no Zabapik without them.
02:12They captured Junior Large Band of the Year in 2023, and she believes they can capture
02:18the title again this year.
02:19For the past 20 years, they have been moving relentlessly between East Border Spain and
02:28these premises here, building costumes and making the children of these areas part of
02:36our culture.
02:37They understand, and that I mean the adults, understand that the future of our culture
02:44lies in the hands of our children.
02:46Republic Bank has been part of the project for the past six years, and at this time it
02:51sponsors 300 children, while the National Security Ministry sponsors 100 children.
02:57Managing Director and President of RBL, Nigel Batiste, says he never had the opportunity
03:03to play mass as a child.
03:06My parents couldn't afford it, you know, where we lived, it was just not convenient.
03:11So when that opportunity came for Republic Bank to be able to facilitate others doing
03:15it, it was something that we just couldn't resist.
03:19Batiste signals the bank's intentions to stay connected to the initiative.
03:24The IETF is also pledging its continued support for as long as the project remains running.
03:30Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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