THE SOCIAL JUSTICE FOUNDATION started 6years ago with a simple yet powerful guiding principle: creating equity through training of vulnerable at risk youth in rural communities in communications technologies. This guides our non-­?profit organization in its main activities of:
1. Youth Training Youth in sustainable skills-­? opening pathways to opportunities in future
employment in the knowledge industry or as trainers themselves
2. Building self-­?esteem and selfhood by telling the story of rural youth and at-­?risk communities
thorough The Good news Media (TGN)-­? with their own voices and images.
3. Bridging the digital divide in rural communities.

To date successes in our training programs the delivery of video production training in several rural locations in Trinidad since 2007. Among these have been Toco/ Matelot, Carlsen Field, Mayaro/ Guyaguare, Tunapuna/ Curepe (for the orphan homes), Rio Claro, Siparia and Penal -­? training over 300 rural/ high risk youth. Some TGN graduates have gone on to be hired full time staff at CNC3, TV6, ieTV and CNMG and others as interns. TGN is where our best training graduates acquire practical experience working on real projects including film production. Several TGN films have been selected for the T&T Film Festival which include-­? for 2013 these were ‘The Mystery of the Soucouyant’ and the
‘Glorious Childhood games of back in de day’, for 2012 ‘Life of a Young farmer based on the real life
story of a young TGN trainer dealing with praedial larceny and ‘Tales from the House of Smoke‘ on the Warao Amerindians in Siparia.

With a view to this UNDP project, the community interviews and the Couva/ Tabaquite/ Talparo&Siparia Regional Corporation plans highlighted a range of environmental issues including water quality and pollution ”because changes in the environment affect the poor/ rural first. The Coora River (Siparia) and Caparo River (Carlsen Field) were identified to assist the national water quality testing database. Stakeholders include the Water Resources Agency / Adopt a River project and Environmental Management Authority (EMA). The project goal is therefore to develop youth eco-­? leaders who will help raise awareness of environmental issues and impact on the rural communities of Siparia and Carlsen Field.

The overarching objectives for the project are to awaken environmental awareness and activism in youth from rural communities, “to assist WASA in data collection of water quality”, to teach rural youth to appropriately use media (video/ internet use) to spread the environmental message to other youth around the country, the Caribbean and internationally via facebook and train rural youth in environmentally conscious /conservation strategies and the impact at the individual, family and community levels.

The main project results are expected to be increased Environmental Awareness with at least 100 beneficiaries attending community seminars,20 Youth Eco Leaders trained in 2 rural communities and eventually becoming members of established environmental groups and minimum of 6months Water Quality data obtained for the Coora River (Siparia) and Caparo River (Carlsen Field).