Above: Reshma Suchit, Sewa TT volunteer at Harry Persad & Sons Ltd, St. Helena with the donated masks.

Updated on December 28, 2021 to note the adjustment of distribution quantities from 20 masks per journalist to 15  to meet demand from the community.

SEWA TT , a 100 per cent voluntary organisation ‘dedicated to serving humanity,’ has donated 4,000 KN95 masks to the journalism community of Trinidad and Tobago with an estimated value of TT$40,000.00 and has asked the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago to facilitate the distribution of the protective gear to the practicing journalists of this country.

President of SEWA TT, Revan Teelucksingh offered the masks to MATT with the following statement sent via WhatsApp.

Sewa TT has been preparing for natural disaster for the past five years, and this pandemic is nothing short of a significant natural disaster.

Sewa TT has developed our response in three phases.
1. Prevention of Covid-19 (Informational videos, webinars, support on vaccination sites, and distribution of masks)
2. Support of Covid-19 patients
3. Support the most vulnerable who are dealing with the fallout of Covid-19.

SEWA TT sees media as an essential pillar of democracy, and frontline media workers are most at risk of exposure the Covid-19 virus and its variants and are grateful for this opportunity to allow some measure of protection to journalists.

Recently SEWATT reached out to Amazon UK, who donated 350,000 protective masks to support frontline workers.
Of these, we will also donate KN95 masks to protective services (including the Fire Service, secondary schools, and MP’s while holding 50,000 masks in reserve in a natural disaster.
We thank the media for their courage in staying on the frontline and hope this sharing of this protective resource help keep you safe.’

Revan Teelucksingh
President SEWA TT

MATT is distributing 20 masks per journalist (based on demand, the numbers being distributed have been adjusted downward to 15 masks per journalist) to assist them in continuing to work during this period of high infections.

We ask that editors across all media houses and organisations, inclusive of CCN, Guardian Media and other organisations, write to us directly at mediaexecutivett@gmail.com with the number of journalists, announcers and tecnical staff requiring masks, and we will deliver these to the Port-of-Spain locations.

From Thursday, bona fide freelance journalists will be able, through the kind cooperation and assistance of Daily News Limited, to collect masks at the following locations.

Newsday – Port of Spain Daily News Limited, 17-19 Pembroke Street, Port Of Spain 
Newsday – South 1st Floor, Room 12, Cathay House, Carlton Centre, San Fernando.

We are currently working on arrangements for collection in Tobago.

We are asking media organisations with less than 15 members of staff requiring this support to send a note to mediaexecutivett@gmail.com with the names of staff members requiring masks.

We will package these, label them and have them available at the Newsday locations.
Issues regarding the logistics of getting the masks to journalists and announcers can also be addressed on this email, the MATT WhatsApp chat or directly to executive members.

We are prioritising journalists on the front line, and once we have met existing need, we will be open to providing associate members with masks.

The Media Association executive, on behalf of its membership, thanks SEWA TT and Mr Teelucksingh for keeping the working journalists of Trinidad and Tobago in their thoughts and extending practical assistance to assist them in their day to day work.

MATT EXECUTIVE