Photo by Alan Cleaver

The Community Development Fund (CDF) of the Ministry of Community Development will host two Community Outreach Programmes at the Guapo Community Centre in Point Fortin on Monday January 30, 2012 and at the Cedros Community Centre in Cedros on Tuesday January 31, 2012. The sessions will run from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm on both days.

Village Councils, Non-Governmental Organizations, Community-Based Organizations and Faith-Based Organizations from Guapo and Cedros will make presentations for funding of their community projects through the CDF.
Representatives of the CDF and the Community Development Division of the Ministry, along with Local Government representatives, business and estate owners from Guapo and Cedros and community councils, will attend both events.

There will also be a booth set up at the venues on both days, providing information on the programmes and services offered by the CDF and the Ministry of Community Development.

Caption: (front, right) CDF Programme Director, Herold Gopaul during a walkabout at an outreach hosted by the CDF in the Heights of Aripo on August 24, 2011.

The Ministry of Community Development’s Prime Minister’s Best Village Trophy Competition will launch its “Traditions of Carnival” competition on Saturday January 28, 2012 at Constantine Park in Macoya from 10:00 am.

It promises to be a day of fun for the entire family with features including:

• Traditional mas characters (Peirrot Grenades, Dame Lorraines, Midnight Robbers, Fancy Sailors and Minstrels)

• Folk Dance (chutney and soca)

• Folk Music (traditions including old time kaiso, tamboo bamboo, rhythm sections and minstrels)

The Pan American health Organization (PAHO) announced that during 2012, its member States will be able to obtain Prevenar13® (13 valent conjugated vaccine from Pfizer) through its Revolving Fund. With this decision, the PAHO hopes to support Government efforts to promote free access to quality vaccines and promote the prevention of diseases caused by the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, also known as pneumococcus.

Prevenar13® by Pfizer is the conjugated anti-pneumococcal vaccine that offers the greatest coverage against pneumococcus. This is the only vaccine that has the 13 serotypes, or infectious agents responsible for the most severe cases reported due to pneumococcal disease, according to the World Health Organization, including 19A, 3 and 6A serotypes.

Pneumococcal Pneumonia is the most common manifestation of pneumococcal disease; it also appears as otitis, invasive infections such as bacteremia (blood infections) and meningitis, which is an inflammation of the brain.

Photo by by Danny Hammontree