Starting September 7, the Cari-Bois Environmental News Network will publish one community-based, climate-focused article every two days.
Written by Cari-Bois’ first cohort of youth journalists, these 500-word articles will highlight one way in which climate change affects their communities.
From August 3 – 17, eight youths from four rural communities across Trinidad and Tobago (Blanchisseuse, Moruga, Roxborough, and Williamsville) participated in three online journalism skills training sessions as part of Cari-Bois’ inaugural I Want To Be An Environmental Reporter youth journalism project.
On August 24, the first phase of the project was completed with a field trip to the Lopinot Historical Complex where students learnt about the heritage site, received a crash course on how to conduct media interviews and practised their interview skills with local residents.
With the completion of these soon-to-be published articles, the cohort completed the second phase of the project and will participate in its third/final phase when they provide coverage of the Caribbean’s first Gen Z Climate Conference hosted by The Cropper Foundation and Journal of CESaRE.
Let’s meet Cari-Bois’ 8 Youth Journalists
Name: Adonai Crosby
Community: Roxborough
Article Publication Date: September 7th, 2023
More about Adonai: With a love for engineering, Adonai Crosby is currently studiously pursuing his studies at the Roxborough Secondary School to one day pursue civil engineering at university. He loves the outdoors and you can often find him enjoying many of Tobago’s beautiful beaches when he isn’t revising his schoolwork.
Name: Simran Ali
Community: Moruga
Article Publication Date: September 9th, 2023
More about Simran: On any given evening, you can find Smiran Ali enjoying Moruga’s fresh air as she completes her homework. A proud student of Moruga Secondary School, Ali told Cari-Bois she loves her community’s lush rainforests and wants to one day help contribute to the reduction of the world’s plastic pollution which she deems a threat to the health of future generations.
Name: Aneil Sookhan
Community: Williamsville
Article Publication Date: September 11th, 2023
More about Aneil: With a love for sociology, Aniel Sookhan is currently a dedicated student at Williamsville Secondary School. He told Cari-Bois his community’s positive and resilient spirit is something which encourages him to continue working towards being a productive citizen of Trinidad and Tobago.
Name: Hadassa Karimbocas
Community: Blanchisseuse
Article Publication Date: September 13th, 2023
More about Hadassa: A lover of all things outdoors, Hadassa told Cari-Bois she is most proud of Blanchisseuse’s beaches and rivers. When she isn’t spending time in nature, you can find Hadassa honing her artistic skills and being a proud student of Blanchisseuse Secondary School. Given Trinidad and Tobago’s extremely warm temperatures in recent months, Hadassa is concerned about the effects of climate change on human health.
Name: Jesus Bailey
Community: Blanchisseuse
Article Publication Date: September 15th, 2023
More about Jesus: A budding footballer, there’s no doubt that Jesus Bailey is an all-rounded student at Blanchisseuse Secondary School. With a love for creating videos, Jesus documents his many outdoor adventures on his YouTube channel called “T1tan Vlogs” which has already racked up an impressive 921 subscribers and 128,872 views!
Name: Keira Hinds
Community: Roxborough
Article Publication Date: September 17th, 2023
More about Keira: A dedicated and proud student of Roxborough Hill Secondary School, Keira Hinds told Cari-Bois that she is proud of the level of environmental awareness in her community given there is little to no pollution in many places. With a love for the beach, Keira said marine pollution concerns her the most as it can affect many of Tobago’s beautiful marine species.
Name: Colleen Mudie
Community: Moruga
Article Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
More about Colleen: Growing up in a tight-knit community in Moruga, Colleen Mudie told Cari-Bois that she has learnt the importance of teamwork and lending a helping hand where needed. Currently a proud student of Moruga Secondary School, Colleen said deforestation is an environmental issue which concerns her especially given she lives in a heavily forested area.
Name: Kareema Jadhunandan
Community: Williamsville
Article Publication Date: September 21st, 2023
More about Kareema: A proud student of Williamsville Secondary School, Kareema Jadhunandan is well on her way to be a multi-hyphenate with a love for both entrepreneurship and healthcare. To connect with nature, Kareema enjoys visiting the beach and taking some time to inhale the sea breeze. Attentive to global events, Kareema has learnt a lot about climate change and is concerned about its effects.
