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Speech at the TTBWA Walk for Sight 2024

Oct 13, 2024

Speech at the TTBWA Walk for Sight 2024

Good morning.

Let me start by thanking each and every one of you for coming out to participate in this annual walk in support of World Sight Day. Many of you had to get up earlier than usual on a Sunday morning to be here, and I am truly heartened by your dedication to the Association and to its work.

Today, we came together and walked to shine the spotlight on the eye and vision health of this country’s most precious assets—our children. We came together to do this because, like with so many other things in this life, we know that good things and good habits often start from young. What we did today is reinforce the message that ‘eye and vision’ issues are often able to be treated, corrected and sometimes even cured, if discovered early. The research tell us that early vision-correction enhances children’s cognitive abilities, educational success, mental health and overall quality of life. And so, what we did today is a good and an important thing. Today, we showed up for our children.

Having showed up for them today, what we also need to do, is to help our children learn how to show up for themselves, where their eye care is concerned. My dear children, let me speak directly to you for a minute – you have a very important part to play in promoting your own eye and vision health, and your own actions can make a world of difference. World Sight Day this year is all about encouraging you to love and care for your eyes, not just today, but every day. We know it’s not easy, but we, the adults in your lives, encourage you to make a commitment, today, to tear yourselves away from your phones and your tablets and your computer screens a bit, and take a break from them for at least five minutes every hour. This simple step will help improve the health of your eyes tremendously. Commit to spending a little more time outdoors, playing sports, engaging with your friends, or maybe just enjoying nature. The point is, that the less time you spend scrolling, the lower your chances of developing eye problems such as myopia – or near-sightedness.

We also want to encourage you to show up for yourselves at school. For example, if you realize that you are struggling to see or if it is hard to read the board at school, don’t hesitate to speak up and let your teacher, your parents or your guardians know. Your vision is incredibly important to your wellbeing, so make every effort to prioritise it.

And now, let me address all of the good and dedicated people who, by your presence here today have demonstrated their commitment to being advocates for eye and vision health. Now that we have successfully completed this year’s Walk for Sight, let us now carry this momentum forward and ensure that we continue to prioritise eye and vision health in our daily lives.

Most of all, permit me to express my deep gratitude for, and my enormous admiration of, the members of the Trinidad and Tobago Blind Welfare Association and their supporters. Your tireless efforts in raising awareness about vision impairment and blindness have improved the lives of countless people. This year marks 110 years of your remarkable work and I applaud you and our nation thanks you for your invaluable contributions.

Let me end by thanking each and every one of you who came out to support this walk today – for your commitment, advocacy and action in prioritising eye health and giving our nation’s children the opportunity to love their eyes.

May God bless you all and may God Bless our country.

Thank you

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PreviousMessage on World Sight Day 2024 – Children Love Your Eyes
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7 days ago

The Office of the President of the Republic of T&T
On Wednesday 18th June 2025, Her Excellency Christine Carla Kangaloo ORTT, President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, attended the Manzanilla/Nariva Primary School Graduation Ceremony.At the ceremony, which was fittingly themed, "Reaching New Heights," Her Excellency delivered the feature address, presented special prizes, and took time to engage with the graduating class of 24 students as they celebrated the end of one chapter and prepared to begin the next. In her address, Her Excellency reminded the students of the power of choices, especially the importance of choosing their friends wisely, "Be very, very careful about the friends you choose. Make sure they are people who will help you to keep reaching new heights." She encouraged them to speak openly with their parents and teachers, seek guidance when needed, and to never be afraid to ask for help when needed.As the students prepare for the next stage of their journey, Her Excellency left them with a powerful reminder that they are not alone, and that with hard work, good choices, and the support of those who care for them, they will continue to reach new heights in life.👏 Congratulations once again to the Graduating Class of 2025 at Manzanilla/Nariva Primary School.📖 Full speech available at:🔗 tinyurl.com/yy359efk📸 Check out more photos from the event:🔗 flic.kr/s/aHBqjCiZcH ... See MoreSee Less

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7 days ago

The Office of the President of the Republic of T&T
Congratulations to this week’s #OTPTriviaTuesday winner... @jihad.howe!🎉🏆💡Did you know? These Letters are presented to our Head of State by incoming Ambassadors and High Commissioners, during a Presentation of Credentials ceremony, usually held at The President's House . ✉️🌎Here’s a look at some Letters of Credence presented to Her Excellency Christine Carla Kangaloo, ORTT, in 2025. ... See MoreSee Less

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The Office of the President of the Republic of T&T

1 week ago

The Office of the President of the Republic of T&T
On Tuesday, 24 June 2025, the Office of the President welcomed students of Windermere Private School for a memorable and educational tour of The President's House and grounds. Their visit, which coincided with the Presentation of Credentials ceremony for the Ambassador of the Republic of Ireland, allowed the young people the opportunity to witness the guard of honour with mounted escort. 🇮🇪🎖️During their tour, the students explored several important rooms within the House, including the Credentials Room and the Ballroom, learning about the significance and role of those rooms in national events and the President’s official duties. A special moment came when one brave and talented young lady volunteered to show off her steelpan skills! 🎶🇹🇹 📸 View more moments from this special visit:👉 flic.kr/s/aHBqjCjaLL ... See MoreSee Less

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The Office of the President of the Republic of T&T

1 week ago

The Office of the President of the Republic of T&T
Ms. Geraldine Byrne Nason, Ambassador-designate of Ireland to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago with residence in Washington D.C., United States of America, presented her credentials to Her Excellency Christine Carla Kangaloo ORTT, President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, today, June 24, 2025 at The President's House. Formal diplomatic relations between Trinidad and Tobago and Ireland were established in 2000. 2025 therefore marks the 25th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations with Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason being appointed the first Irish Ambassador accredited to Trinidad and Tobago.Her Excellency Nason was accompanied by Ms. Sharon Lennon, Head of the Republic of Ireland’s Office for the Caribbean and Ms. Aoife Erraught Foreign Policy CounsellorHer Excellency welcomed the Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago and wished her every success in her new post. ... See MoreSee Less

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The Office of the President of the Republic of T&T

1 week ago

The Office of the President of the Republic of T&T
Welcome to week 4 of #OTPTriviaTuesday! 💡🎉Want a chance to be a winner? 🏆 Keep an eye out for our trivia questions every Tuesday at 9 AM on Instagram @officeofthepresidenttt 📲🎁 In case you forgot, here’s a look at some of the exciting prizes up for grabs!#OTPTriviaTuesday #officeofthepresidentt #trinidadandtobago ... See MoreSee Less

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President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago
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