 A 109-year-old woman passed away peacefully at her home in Belmont last month.
Her name was Anora Gladdis Trotman-Fraser - singer, dancer and devout Christian. Trotman-Fraser had no formal education but she could read and write. She was not a public figure, nor was she publicly recognised for greatness. But to those whose lives were touched by this simple woman from Port-of-Spain, her memory will live on forever. This is the story of Trotman-Fraser. She was born at the Colonial Hospital, now Port-of-Spain General Hospital, on October 27, 1970 and outlived all of her six siblings. Her mother passed away at age 101. Her great grand daughter, Gerel Baptiste, said Trotman-Fraser lived "in and around" Port-of-Spain all her life. "She lived in and around POS some places to name a few are Que Place, Argle St. Minachy Alley , Carr St, and then Upper St Barbs Road, Belmont where she remained until her death," she said. As a child, Trotman-Fraser loved learning. She was home-schooled by her aunt, a retired school teacher, and then enrolled at the Quarry Street School. She then moved to the Piccadilly Girls School, where she reached Standard Six. "She wasn’t afforded the opportunity to attend any formal high school but was quite exceptional in Arithmetic & Spelling. Back then if you weren’t in school the next best thing was to learn a trade. She tried many but liked none until she was introduced to word of theatre and performing arts," Baptiste said. It was in theatre and arts Trotman-Fraser found her passion, singing, dancing and acting. Her performances at the old Princes Building Grounds were impeccable, relatives recalled. Baptiste recalled how in her late years, Trotman-Fraser would boast of how she performed to sold-out crowds and how young men would climb the trees outside to get a glimpse of her performances. Her favourite dances, however, were ballroom dancing and the waltz. Trotman-Fraser was married to Clifford Fraser, who is now deceased. Baptiste said, "She bore no children for her husband but was the devoted mother of Randolph Lewis (deceased) and her lone surviving daughter, Barbara Baptiste." Growing up with "Granny”, as she was fondly called, was "a great experience", she said. Baptiste said her great grandmother told stories about riding in tram cars and the trolley bus and taking a taxi for six cents. She said Trotman-Fraser lived a simple life and was already ready to give advice to anyone in need. "She had an abundance of love for anyone and was 100 per cent dedicated to God. She always said, God first then her Family came next. She was a woman of faith and a firm believer in prayer. Her love for singing never left her even up to her last days as she spent many hours at nights singing religious hymns," she recalled. Trotman-Fraser worked as a maid, cook and other domestic jobs. She was never ashamed of her employment, relatives said, as these were all honest jobs to provide for her family. The woman had no ailments. In her last days, Baptiste said, Trotman-Fraser would spend her time praising God and singing hymns. She wanted to leave behind something, relatives said, to keep them on the right path. Trotman-Fraser asked them to write it down. She said, “The advice I give to young people in to have love, love for each and every one, and believe in the Holy Spirit of Jesus. Live well with your fellow creature and have respect for each and every one. Give hem peace within themselves. Let them believe in the true and living God. That’s the way. Respect and behaviour for their fellow creatures and the Lord will bless them eternally.” This was her secret, relatives said, to finding happiness in her simple, long life. Trotman-Fraser passed away on September 15, surrounded by her 10 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren and 17 great great grandchildren. Source: Trinidad Express, Oct 11, 2020  To read about them - click here
Trinidad and Tobago’s Shemika Charles-Campbell attained her third Guinness World Record on Thursday 8, October 2020 at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, when she limbo danced under two jeeps that were below a height of 12 inches over a distance of more than 12 feet.  Senator the Honourable Randall Mitchell, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts, congratulates Trinidad and Tobago’s Shemika Charles-Campbell on attaining her third Guinness World Record on Thursday 8, October 2020 at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, when she limbo danced under two jeeps that were below a height of 12 inches over a distance of more than 12 feet.
Shemika achieved her second Guinness World record for limbo dancing in China in 2016 when she completed the task at a distance of over 10 feet. One year earlier she achieved the record for limbo dancing under a height of 8.5 inches in the United States. Congratulations Shemika! ...A big blow for Chaguanas, says economistTHE closure of MovieTowne in Price Plaza, Endeavour Road, Chaguanas, is going to be a huge loss to the Chaguanas borough and would cause serious economic fallout. So said economist Dr Indera Sagewan, as she noted that it’s a negative step in the development of the country’s business landscape.
Sagewan said the closure of the cinema and entertainment complex would have a ripple effect on businesses in and around the area, which have generated revenue from people flocking to the cinemas. “Employees and suppliers are also going to be affected and that means the unemployment statistics would also go up. Let’s be real. We cannot expect the owner Derek Chin to absorb all the workers at the other branches, as the pandemic has disrupted the cinema industry greatly and it’s going to take a while for the industry to revitalise, post Covid-19.” The economist explained that people living in Chaguanas who may want to head to the cinema when it reopens would now have to go either Port of Spain or South, which is a further cost in terms of gas for the car or public transportation. Sagewan believes that the Government should open up the economy more as there are a lot of best practices that can be implemented to help prevent the spread of the virus. “When you look at other countries, they have put mechanisms in place in order to facilitate the reopening of various sectors. But T&T seems to be stuck in this mode of waiting for the numbers to go down and more needs to be done by the Government,” Sagewan added. Chaguanas East MP Vandana Mohit said she preferred not to comment, at this time, as the issue was a private matter between the landlord and tenant. Mohit was previously the mayor of Chaguanas. Also commenting on the closure was Chaguanas Chamber president Vishnu Charran, who said it spells bad news for the borough as it means there is going to be less foot traffic and less revenue being earned. “It is sad to see the cinema had to shut its doors, but I understand that the economic impact caused by Covid is very serious and things are not going to get better anytime soon.” Charran outlined that other businesses located in Price Plaza will also feel the pinch, as there will be fewer customers coming to buy their products and more people can be on the breadline, due to this fallout. Source: Trinidad Express, Oct 2020 Fun Fishing & Exploring Mayaro Beach - Longest Beach In Trinidad & Tobago - Caribbean Sun, Sand, Sea10/3/2020 This is 22 year old Junior Subhan a part-time mechanic that today celebrates 10 CSEC subjects10/1/2020 Junior aka Amit has a story to tell of how he earned his CSEC passes in the face of tremendous adversities. He recalls many days of laughing and talking with friends who were unaware of how broke and hungry he was in several classes. He recalls that after failing Common Entrance he dropped out of school in form 1 to work and assist his sick mother who subsequently died. He continued working and finally gave himself a second chance and returned to school at 19 years old with the support of his aunt Ms. Nesha Ferreira. Despite her support for transport and tuition fees, Junior later realised that he still came up short on many days with little to eat and increasing expenses in the likeness of school materials. This prompted him to seek employment at a nearby mechanic shop where he was grateful to be allowed to work whenever he needed. He would occasionally work on weekends or miss a few days of school when necessary to buy textbooks or rations for the week. Sometimes even that was not enough and Junior found himself walking to and from school on many days. Despite what he was going through, his determination was stronger than his circumstances and he made use of the time he had and was often seen studying quietly in school. His advice to people who are in similar situation as he was in is to “not give up, no matter how hard it gets, try harder. The feeling you get at the end of the journey is worth all the pains during the process.” Junior earned a grade one pass in POA, 6 Grade 2s and 3 Grade 3s and wants to eventually become an entrepreneur. The mechanic is currently working to save enough money to start ACCA classes. He dedicates his passes to his aunt Ms. Nesha Ferreira and thanks her for giving him a second chance at life. Let’s congratulate Amit and share his story to inspire someone in similar circumstances. -Sponsor a child’s education and register at IBE Interactive Source: IBE INTERACTIVE September 24, 2020 |
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