Against the backdrop of ongoing crime concerns, residents of the Embacadere community received both practical support and words of encouragement when the Scrap Iron Dealers’ Association of Trinidad and Tobago paid a visit on Wednesday.
In addition to distributing hampers and books, Scrap Iron Dealers’ Association President Allan Ferguson and Pentecostal Pastor Clive Dottin shared advice on tackling lawlessness and strengthening community involvement in the fight against criminal activity.
Pastor Dottin urged residents to reclaim their neighbourhood from the criminal elements that have adversely affected the area.
In making his appeal, he highlighted the example of Ajamu Crosby, who achieved regional academic success after being awarded a National Additional Scholarship in 2016 following his outstanding A-Level performance.
“Let me tell you what a drug dealer is, who pushing ganja and cocaine: he’s a parasitic, rhinocerotic, elephantic vampire. That’s who a pusher is. A pusher of drugs is a vampire by day and a vampire by night, but Ajamu Crosby proved that you could be a success no matter where you’re born.”
Pastor Dottin said he is actively involved in efforts to rescue and mentor young people living in communities affected by drug abuse and criminal activity.
“Right now I am involved in adopting children in gangster areas. Now the gang leaders don’t like that. For example, in the month of June this year, Oren Danglade and two members of his gang were shot and killed. A few weeks after that, in Unipet station in Morvant, they killed three other members of the same gang. So those mafia fellas are killers.”
Meanwhile, Mr Ferguson encouraged the area’s residents to support each other in their efforts to uplift the community.
“Eighty-seven per cent of the people in the madhouse look like me. Ninety-nine per cent of the people in jail look like me. I want you all to understand, the people who walking around and smoking drugs, they look like me. But let me tell all yuh something: that don’t give us the right to say that we don’t have the faith that we could do better.”
The Scrap Iron Dealers’ Association distributed dozens of textbooks, book bags, school supplies and hampers to the Embacadere residents.