ISSUE № 4 , JULY 2017
4
THE T & T HEALTH SHOW
Yet another project in the making intended to make a positive difference is the T & T Health Show . The show was developed and produced by Michael John , Kimberly Williams and Akini Wilson as a School of Business & Computer Science ( SBCS ) final year project . Michael served as the director / assistant editor / sound engineer , Ms . Kimberly Williams was the producer / writer / reporter and Akini Wilson was the editor and camera operator . This project is the first installment of a web series which hopes to feature original content that explores the myriad of health and wellness challenges facing Trinidad and Tobago and the people who are overcoming these challenges . The pilot episode takes a look at obesity which according to the Pan American Health Organisation ( PAHO ) is extremely high in Trinidad and Tobago . The project mission is also to create a forum which informs and educates the public on the other many serious health and wellness issues threatening society . By fostering a pro-active approach on health , the show will be geared towards changing and even shaping people ’ s perceptions and attitudes towards health issues .
Crowd Funding for Caribbean Entrepreneurs .
In order to promote the use of crowdfunding as a tool to grow Caribbean businesses , the World Bank Group recently funded the implementation of the Crowdfunding MOOC for Caribbean Entrepreneurs ( CMCE ). A Massive Online Open Course ( MOOC ) was conducted on the fundamentals of presale / reward crowdfunding , methodologies , and tools over an 8 week period . The centerpiece of the MOOC was the capstone project where participants had the chance to exhibit and share their ideas with others . Following the completion of the CMCE capstone projects , the World Bank Group hired VisionFunder ( the Caribbean crowdfunding consulting company ) and together they selected the highest ranked entrepreneurs to participate in a coaching program to carry out their crowdfunding campaign , under a mentorship program . Two of the Trinidad and Tobago projects selected were www . plentytalent . com and Scraps an animation series . Plenty Talent was founded on the principle of showcasing the emerging Talents of the Caribbean in the various disciplines of the Creative Industries . The intent is to also encourage people to gravitate towards the creative talents to grow the potential for the Caribbean to feature highly as a location of choice for the global creative industry . In the case of Scraps , this project is a lavishly animated and illustrated web-series featuring endearing kid-friendly characters and uniquely Caribbean settings . It stars the titular character , Scraps , a lovable scamp of a stray cat who lives in the fish market of a coastal Caribbean village , and the exciting adventures he has with the inhabitants there . In both cases it is hoped that participation in the actual crowd funding phase of the project will bring greater visibility and that much needed finance for both projects to further unlock the potential of the Caribbean .