00:00We cater for persons with varying types of disabilities from ages 14 and up.
00:07The National Centre for Persons with Disabilities will commemorate its 61st anniversary this
00:33December.
00:34What began as a pilot project has grown into a remarkable initiative, widely regarded for
00:39its impactful work within the community.
00:42So we do get partial subvention from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social Development.
00:53But basically we are here and we do what we can with whatever resources that we have.
01:04At the NCPD, resources are tailored to meet the needs of individuals with different disabilities.
01:11Every day I get calls from parents, do you all take children who are five years, do you
01:21all take children who are eight years and I have to turn them down.
01:26Why?
01:27Because we are a vocational training centre, we do things like woodwork and welding and
01:31agriculture, beauty culture, garment construction and along with that we do math and English
01:39and life skills.
01:42But there's a gap.
01:43What happens before the age of 14?
01:47So how did the students of the NCPD end up winning a social media competition held by
01:53circus superstar Marshall Montano?
01:56We entered not knowing that we would be victorious, but we entered because we knew that we would,
02:06you know as a form of marketing, sensitization, let society know that hey, we are here and
02:12we want to advocate on behalf of persons with disabilities.
02:19The team behind the song said, but Marshall, you're not in any FETS, you're not in enough
02:32FETS to work the song, you know you need to work your song and I said, well look, listen,
02:37not every trip to the moon is the same strategy, you know, and I said we could actually have
02:45a competition to see who wants to win a free party and that could be another added show
02:51on our list, you know, we could have everybody in their workplaces, in their schools, I was
02:57just making jokes, churches could have a team because I wanted them to show us how you party
03:02or tell us a story of why you deserve a party.
03:06Because that is what this song was really about, you know, it's not telling you to just
03:09jump and get on board.
03:11It was a long two weeks of, you know, asking people to vote and to share and stuff like
03:17that, but it was so fulfilling because now I can say, people know about LGBT.
03:36They ran a monster campaign, they had people voting for them, people sharing their videos
03:45to the point where they legitimately won the concert and won the hearts of all of us.
03:50It was chaotic, but a good chaos.
03:58It was exciting, it was so fulfilling, right?
04:03Not just for me, but it was fulfilling to know that my students are getting this once
04:10in a lifetime opportunity.
04:12My father, after it all, left me a voice message telling me a story from 1985 to show me that
04:19connectivity and, you know, when I went to the school, I met the young principal and
04:23I asked her, I said, how come, you know, we didn't know the school was here all the time
04:26and I went to school in San Fernando, but then my father said to me, you know, in 1985,
04:31we were supposed to do a show at Mocorapo Junior Sec, Pranasonic Express, Marshall,
04:35Farmer Nappy, all of us, and we came out to do the show, it was poorly advertised and
04:39there was nobody in the audience, like five people, and he came back to us, we were all
04:43nine and ten and twelve years old, he said, look, listen, there's nobody out there, but
04:47I want to let you go there and still do all the best.
04:50We went out there, we performed our hearts out, and there was one man by the name of
04:54Glenn Steele in the audience who came up and he gave us $100.
04:59What you've just been hearing and what you're seeing is one-third of the Pranasonic Express,
05:06and you can come down to Moruga Composite on Sunday the 27th of October and see us perform
05:13at half-past three.
05:16I know you'll be there.
05:22Yes, I know what you've been through.
05:28According to Marshall's mother, Elizabeth Montano, that act of kindness had a lasting
05:33impact on their family.
05:35What happened after is he gave us a job for four years, so this is what, so sometimes
05:41money is not everything, and when you give, you get, you know, and the place that he took
05:48us was the Blind Welfare Association, which is right there where we went, but it was not
05:57called that now, but it transformed into the school.
06:02We were never able to repay him, but 40 years later, unknowingly to us and to them, it was
06:13done by the same person who the gentleman catered to 40 years before.
06:20Long after the party and the social media buzz died down, Principal Puckering says that
06:26if the public can recognize the abilities in disabilities, that will be enough for her.
06:32If you'd like to contact the National Center for Persons with Disabilities, you can do
06:37so at 221-6273.
06:46Thank you for your love and support.
06:56Akshaya Galston, TV6 News.
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