As Trinidad and Tobago prepares to celebrate Diwali on November 8th, Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar is encouraging parents to prioritise their children’s education, saying it remains the key to overcoming poverty and improving quality of life.
She was speaking at the Diwali Milan celebrations in Chaguanas, where the festival’s message of light and hope provided a backdrop for her call to invest in the next generation.
At Diwali Milan celebrations in Chaguanas, Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar reflected on the importance of investing in children’s futures, drawing on her family’s experience to highlight the opportunities that education can create.
“I was very proud um when was it on uh a few days ago I went to UWI campus Thursday and I was very proud my son who did a bachelor of first degree in education and he was a teacher and he went and he did some teaching for a few years and he came and said Mom I’m fed up with teaching now I want to do law. I was so proud because of course it’s my profession so I would welcome him and on Thursday I saw my son graduate from the UWI with a bachelor of law is a law degree so that is things that is that’s what we can do.”
She also urged parents to remain committed to their children’s development, regardless of the path they choose to pursue.
“So parents teach your children well teach them that education is the only passport out of poverty education is the only key to a better quality of life so whether they do academics or whether do training in other things just make sure that they learn and keep them well.”
Meanwhile, host of the event, Member of Parliament for Chaguanas East, Vandana Mohit, highlighted the role of community support in bringing the celebration to life, noting that the event was funded by Chaguanas’ business community, without state funding.
“That is the kind of community I personally want us to continue building here in the beautiful constituency of Chaguanas East. It is also what makes our beloved country so beautiful. A country of different religions, cultures and traditions, yet a people who can come together, celebrate together, and find joy in one another’s happiness. Our diversity is one of our greatest blessings, and we must never take it for granted.”
Similarly, Mayor of Chaguanas Faaiq Mohammed called on residents to carry the values associated with Diwali into their daily lives, particularly in how they treat and support one another.
“The spirit of Diwali calls each of us to look beyond ourselves. It challenges us to be more compassionate, more understanding, and more willing to serve. We cannot always control the challenges around us, but we can choose how we respond. We can choose integrity over dishonesty, kindness over indifference, and cooperation over division.”
The celebrations in Chaguanas brought together the community for a night of dance, music and diverse celebration of culture ahead of Diwali on November 8th.