Cultural activist Martina Cowie passes on

She was ailing for some time with cancer.

Cowie- Chootoolal last served as a Best Village Officer 1. She was responsible for going into the various villages around the country and monitored the development of the cultural groups that were registered under the Prime Minister’s Best Village Trophy Competition. She worked with the Ministry of Community Development and Culture for over 30 years and established good relations with community groups in Princes Town, San Fernando, Point Fortin, Siparia and Port-of- Spain. She devoted a lot of her own time lecturing and counselling the groups during their preparations for competition.

She was also deeply involved with the people of Mon Diablo and Vistabella and often went beyond the call of duty to find materials that these villages needed.

In 2005, while based in Princes Town, she established a friendship with the people of St Croix and The Princes Town Theatre Workshop of Realise Road. She was a regular invitee to social events organised by these groups.

She was the daughter of Elva Cowie Warner (deceased), an alderman for the San Fernando Borough Corporation.