Minister of Communications, Donna Cox visited the “See Lots of Imagery Photography and Art Workshop Exhibition” put on by the Roots Foundation in collaboration with NALIS at the National Library on Friday January 31, 2020.

The exhibition, which was first launched on January 11 at the Sea Lots Community and Impact Centre, and then mounted at the National Library on January 20, is a culmination of a six-week workshop conducted by the ROOTS Foundation’s Office in Chaguanas with some members of the Sea Lots Police Youth Club. It showcases the photographs of 12 workshop participants, between the ages 11 to 18 years old from the Sea Lots area.

Mitma Solwazi, founder of the Roots Foundation who gave the Minister and Neil Parsanlal, Chairman of the Board of NALIS a guided tour of the exhibition said, “The exhibition supports the workshop’s goal of increasing the youth’s self-awareness by creating front-page news for display, whilst arousing public awareness of the positive stories as told by young people from Sea Lots in response to the way mainstream media frames the area.”

Both Minister Cox and the NALIS Chairman were pleased with the work of the workshop participants. Minister Cox offered her Ministry’s continued support towards the development of youths.

The workshop was facilitated by Leniqueca Welcome, PhD Candidate, University of Pennsylvania and sponsored by Massy Foundation and supported by the Heart and Minds – Inter Agency Task force, Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and the Citizen Security Programme, Ministry of National Security.

With actual cameras in hand, the youths went about “seeing lots” and capturing the beauty of Sea Lots. The 29 photographs were all taken by the workshop participants who received hands-on training in photo journalism.

Roots Foundation, which uses oral traditions as a catalyst for social change by providing safe spaces for self-expression, has had a long standing relationship with NALIS towards youth development and creative expression.