Minister in the Ministry of Housing Anil Roberts has called for an end to bullying.
Speaking to scores of students at the U Health and Wellness Exposition at the Hyatt Regency on Wednesday, he encouraged them to “work hard, be respectful and care for each other.”
“If you have to bully someone or bring down someone to uplift yourself, then you need help. You are the one who needs to talk to someone because that is a manifestation of low self-esteem, and we have to eliminate bullying from our society at all levels.”
According to Education Minister Dr. Michael Dowlath, students must be fed the right type of knowledge to help them become the best versions of themselves. He said the students also play an important role by supporting each other, which further develops empathy and emotional intelligence.
“All of your experiences are valid from where you come from. Your wellbeing, especially your mental health, is our national priority, and so we see your strength, we know you need support because we hear your concerns, and the Ministry of Education and our foundation we will walk with you.”
Speaking with TTT News, Co-Founder and Vice President of the Health and Nutrition Association of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Michael Taylor, emphasised the importance of balancing healthy eating, physical health and wellness with mental health.
“If you can actually exercise, you can have effects on your mental health in terms of improving your cognitive function as well as your emotions as well too. So you have the ability to fight things like depression with exercise. Mental health alone in isolation without exercise is pretty difficult to actually overcome those issues.”
Over 50 exhibitors were present and offered free basic medical exams to participants. The Expo was held at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain from May 27th to 28th.