1. Issue #8, Vol. 1
13th Nov—20th Nov, 2015
Did you know that Diabetes is the
2nd leading cause of death in
Trinidad and Tobago?
Did you know that it is also the
leading cause of adult blindness in
Trinidad and Tobago?
On Saturday 14th November, 2015
join with the World Health Organi-
sation to “Act to change your Life
Today.” According to the WHO:
Healthy Easting is an important
part of managing all diabetes.
This week, we share Six Principles
of maintaining a Low Sugar Diet:
1. Eat a lot of non-starchy vegeta-
bles, beans, and fruits such as
apples, pears, bananas,
mangoes, and papayas
tend to have a lower
glycemic index than
typical desserts.
2. Eat grains in the least-
processed state possi-
ble: “unbroken,” such as brown
bread, brown rice, and natural
granola.
3. Limit white potatoes and refined
grain products such as white
breads and white pasta to small
side dishes.
4. Eat a healthful type of protein at
most meals, such as beans, fish, or
skinless chicken.
5. Choose foods with healthful
fats, such as olive oil, nuts
(almonds, walnuts, pecans), and
avocados.
6. Have three meals and one or
two snacks each day, and don’t
skip breakfast. Eat slowly and stop
when full. Also, be
sure to get your
blood glucose levels
checked at your
nearest drug store
or health facility.
Diabetes
News Update
Upcoming Events
 Wed 18th Nov, 2015: Community Development
Division, St. George West’s Opening of the
Bamboo #3 Community Centre at 4:30 p.m.
 Thu 26th Nov, 2015: Community Development
Division, Nariva/Mayaro’s Launch of the Rio
Claro Book Fair at the Rio Claro Presbyterian
School, Guayaguyare Road at 11:00 a.m.
 Sat 28th Nov, 2015: Community Development
Division, Nariva/Mayaro’s Closing Reception off
the Rio Claro Heritage Festival, “Rio Claro in
History: Perspectives of the 1937 Labour Upris-
ing” at the Rio Claro Presbyterian School,
Guayaguyare Road, Rio Claro at 3:00 p.m.
 Tue 1st Dec, 2015—PMBVTC’s Prize Giving
Ceremony for Best Village 2015 Winners at the
Preysal Community Centre at 6:00 p.m.
Museums— A Legacy to our Children
The MCDCA is helping families
to reduce their expenditure this
Christmas Season through their
Handicraft Christmas Courses.
Since 18th October, across all
nine (9) districts, persons began
training in various areas of
Christmas Craft including:
 Christmas Wreath Making
 Christmas Cuisine
 Candle Making
 Linen and Drapery
For the period of six weeks,
trainees would meet twice a
week to develop and refine their
craft.
According to
Mrs. Omadaye
Beesan, Training
Officer, “There
is a growing
need for these
courses during
the Christmas
period because trainees learn to
produce items at a cheaper cost
for use at home. They can also
sell their products to earn an
income.”
The course will continue until
November 28th 2015.
As our Ministry merged, there are a few areas that are new
to the Community Development family. One of them is the
business of Museums. This week, we chat with Ms Lorraine
Johnson— Curator, National Museum and Art Gallery to
bring us up to speed on the work of the Museum.
The main mission of any Museum is to acquire, preserve,
interpret and exhibit their collection for the education and
enjoyment of museum visitors. The National Museum and
Art Gallery of Trinidad and Tobago’s role therefore, is to
collect the tangible aspects of who we are as citizens of
Trinidad and Tobago and to help us to know what it means
to be citizens of Trinidad and Tobago. This Museum gives us
a sense of our past so that we can shape and take pride in
our present and our future.
Beside the National Museum, there are approximately
twenty eight (28) other museums in
Trinidad and Tobago, though all of them
are not national museums. Some of
T&T’s other museums include the Police
Museum, the Central Bank Money Muse-
um, the Tobago Trust Museum and Fine
Art Centre, Angostura Museum, Queen’s Park Cricket Club
Heritage Museum, the Indian Caribbean Heritage Museum,
the Military Museum, UWI Zoology Museum and the Nation-
al Herbarium, just to name a few.
I would encourage everyone to visit our Museums because
it’s fun! And teaches us new things every time we visit. It
helps us appreciate our diversity and makes us think in new
ways and gives rise to new ideas. Museums and the collec-
tions in them form what remains long after we are gone,
they are our legacy to our children and future generations.
On Tuesday 10th November, 2015,
Trinidad and Tobago celebrated the
Divali Holiday. Our Minister, PS and
and Executives joined staff at the
MCDCA took a break from their
business wear to dress in Traditional
East Indian wear.
Remember to send us your news so we can include it in our MOCD News update!
Even while the Ministry was in
the midst of its Divali Celebration,
some members of staff had their
eyes on another celebration:
Christmas.
Friday 13th November, 2015
means that there are now 41 days
until Christmas. Here are some
photos of one staff member who
has gotten an early start on his
Yuletide decoration.
Christmas CountdownGet Crafty this Christmas
Ministry of Community Development,Ministry of Community Development,Ministry of Community Development,
Culture and the ArtsCulture and the ArtsCulture and the Arts
Brain Teaser
How well do you know your Ministry? Your task is to choose the five (5) divisions that belong to our
current Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts.
a. National Heroes b. Geriatric Adolescent Partnership Prog. c. Archaeological Committee
d. National Library Services d. Youth Groups e. Heritage and Stabilisation Fund
f. Carnival Institute g. Botanic Gardens h. Natn’l Commission for Self Help
i. National Theatre Arts Co. j. Intellectual Property k. National Days and Festivals
Divali Recap
Answers:(c.)(e.)(f.)(h.)(i.)(k.)
41Ms Omadaye Beesan