Chaconia gold for 4

The awards will be presented this afternoon by President Max Richards at a ceremony at President’s House.

Dr David Picou is a retired paediatrician and is being recognised for services to medicine.

“I graduated in 1955 as a trained paeditrician but worked in medical research into severe malnutrition in infants. We published work accepted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for the treatment of severely malnourished children. It was used to treat millions of children in famines throughout the world, up to today.” He said he had been chairman of the Task Force that had planned the Mount Hope Medical Complex. He had also served as director of research at the Caribbean Health Research Council. “At university I was a professor of experimental medicine. I was the director of the Tropical Metabolism Research Unit at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica where I spent 30 years. I went there as a student and left as a professor.”

He is now retired from medicine but heads the Chinese Bicentennial Committee. Asked his age, Picou quipped “Age is just a number, as Sparrow sang,” but said he was born in 1927. “This year was my 32nd consecutive year playing mas.” He has three children from his first marriage, and is now married to neonatalogist Dr Zulika Ali. Asked how he felt about the award he replied’ “I’m very humbled.”

Asked what is next for him, notwithstanding the Chinese Bicentennial, Picou said, “I’m planning the 50th anniversary celebrations for the unit I ran in Jamaica which comes off in November.” He’s also publishing a book.

“I’m in a research project about HIV/AIDS in Trinidad and Tobago to study knowledge, attitudes, practices and behaviour of adults aged 15 to 49 years old.” He will also do a randomised, cross-sectional, national, HIV-prevalence study. It’s the first time it’s being done in Trinidad and Tobago, and is very important. Asked if he was busy, he replied: “I do what I want to do.”

The other Chaconia Gold awardees are pathologist Prof Hubert Daisley (for medicine) and Glenn Erwin Tucker (for national energy development), CEO of Tucker Engineering Services which operates in six countries stretching from Canada to Brazil.

South-based artist, Willi Chen, is getting the Chaconia (Silver) medal.

This year no one is to receive the nation’s highest award, the Trinity Cross, now under review by a committee appointed by Prime Minister Patrick Manning after Justice Peter Jamadhar ruled it offensive to non-Christians.

Many awardees are not often in the limelight, although several groups getting awards are better known including the Toco Foundation and Soroptomists.

The awardees include young athletes Renny Quow who won gold in the 400 metres sprint and Rhonda Watkins who won the Women’s long jump at the recent Beijing IAAF World Junior Track and Field Championships.

On his award, Quow yesterday told Newsday, “Of course, like any normal person who would win a gold medal and be honoured with a national award as well, I feel happy; I mean, this is a first-time experience for me.” Watkins said, “I think they really caught me with this one. When I came home I was told that I was selected for the medal and I am really honoured for it.”

Retirees also feature prominently in this year’s awards, including public servants, who have their own category of award, and retired teachers.

The Chaconia (Silver) goes to artist Willi Chen (culture/community service). He said he had been told by President’s House he was instead getting the Chaconia Gold award, and joked, “I hope it’s not bronze by the time I reach. They better spray something on that quick.”

On the award, Chen said, “It’s a great honour. It’s nice to get recognition. I’ll receive it on behalf of all the artists in Trinidad and Tobago.”

Chen is a known painter, sculptor, short-story writer, and designer of stage-sets.

“I like to do everything but can’t master anything yet,” he jested. His proudest work includes a 64-foot by 14-foot metal mural sculptured in steel, copper and brass at the Central Bank, and a 40-foot steel tower built for Petrotrin at the Pointe-a-Pierre Roundabout.

“Next I’ll do a mural of the triumphant Christ, 30 foot by 13 foot, in metal, outside the Les Efforts Roman Catholic Church in San Fernando. It’s 95 percent complete.”

He runs a printery, does art criticism in a newspaper, and has written two books which will be published by McMillan next month.

“I just crossed the big seven-zero. I’m trying to do everything. I want to do everything.”