Founder and owner of Rose Petal Productions, Stacy Nurse, 34, created the show in the hopes that it would help other women to realise they are not alone in their feeling and challenges, and inspire them to either start or to continue to work towards their goals.

“Sometimes we see people and we think we know them. You might see them successful and smiling but you don’t know the struggles and challenges they had to face during their journey.” Each episode features one woman and delves into their lives. “We go from childhood straight up to where they are now. It’s a very relaxed, intimate setting. Just two people having a conversation with the cameras rolling.” So far, it has featured women such as Patrice Millen, CEO of Millien Concepts; Ghenere Lindsi Heerah, media student and CEO of Women of Elegance; recording artist Natalia Roxanne; comedienne Nikki Crosby; and news anchor Samantha John.

“The idea came about from my own journey in life as a woman.

Also from listening to other people and realising there is just so much more to a person. As women we compare ourselves to others and compete but the thing is, we go through the same things no matter our race, ethnicity, nationality.

We need to understand that we are not so different from other persons in terms of the things we encounter.” “Sometimes we feel someone’s life is so set but we don’t know what goes on behind closed doors. I think having that platform to share that voice is important because it encourages sisterhood, it encourages support, it encourages women to be more mindful and more compassionate to each other.” Nurse said the name highlighted both the tender and tough aspects of any woman. She said pink is associated with women as the feeling is nurturing and warm, while ego can sometimes have a negative connotation more associated with men. “As woman we have that too. We have our own persona, we are individuals but we are just a bit more subtle and do it with more finesse. Putting it together it is about showing both sides of a woman __ the nurturing and the strong.” She said her vision is for the Pink Ego to be a movement with live events where women could meet, connect and network.

She hopes it could bring women to a space where they are comfortable with their lives, and are less concerned about status or being labelled.

The show will premiere on Sunday at 5.30pm on TV6.

Nurse said the show was a product of Rose Petal Productions, which was the governing body for her school, Rosemand’s Academy of the Performing Arts in Arima, of which she is principal.

While the school was launched in 2014, the company was established two years ago as a platform for her students to showcase their talents, usually in the form of music videos, and live theatre productions. Now the production company creates solid local content of all types. She said with cable, the country is flooded by American culture and our own culture is not showcased enough.

“It is about creating content that will be enlightening and entertaining but at the same time present Trinbagonians as people who are capable of creating quality work that can be showcased anywhere.” In addition to The Pink Ego, Rose Petal Productions is expected to launch another TV show in September – a news segment for children, by children. She said the children of her school would be the anchors and field reporters, discussing real issues from their perspective which would be both entertaining and educational.

When asked about her thoughts on the team’s performance in Botswana, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Netball Association (TTNA) Dr Patricia Butcher said in an interview yesterday, “We asked the team to do their best and they went out and put on a good show in the first round of the competition.” After a 55-28 loss against Fiji and a 75-27 defeat to England, the TT girls managed to defeat Wales in the first round with a 36-32 victory and fellow islanders Grenada 76-35. However, a 40-31 loss against Cook Islands, in the second round, saw them miss out on the 13th position.

TT finished their campaign with a pair of victories – 51-40 over Northern Ireland and 53-44 over Wales.

Dr Butcher expressed feelings of promise for the team moving forward, adding that, although she was hoping that the girls would have won their second round game, “This was the girls’ first outing on the international stage and they gave it their best shot.” The tournament ended with New Zealand defeating Australia 60-57 to lift the coveted Cup. When asked about her expectations for the team moving forward she stated, “We have some good talent in that Under- 21 group, certainly the team will be kept in practice so that the girls will enhance their skills and so that we will have a strong senior team moving forward.”

“This will come as no surprise to the authorities in Grenada and to the authorities in Trinidad and Tobago,” said the policyholders group representative and Grenada’s Ambassador to TT Dr Patrick Antoine.

Speaking at a CLF/Clico symposium on Sunday at St Mary’s College, Antoine said two preaction protocol letters have been issued by the group. British American Insurance Company and Clico were subsidiaries of CLF. Government pumped billions into CL Financial following its collapse in 2009. Appealing to Caricom to find a regional solution to the issue, Antoine said, as policyholders who had been following the issue over the years, they are convinced that CL Financial has sufficient assets to cover the liabilities of all policy holders and creditors.

“We are prepared, failing that, to continue in the legal path that we have taken two years now and which have been accelerated in light of recent developments,” he said. The group, he said, believes that “a definitive intervention” is long overdue after the Heads of Government failed to come up with a proper resolution for the problem. Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell raised the issue earlier this month with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley at the last Caricom Heads of Government meeting in Grenada. Representing some 400 policy holders in Grenada amounting to EC$600 million in executive and flexible annuity payments, Antoine said, 90 percent have not received a cent.

This was despite commitments given to a regional entity from a country that was aspiring to become the financial capital of the region, and a Caricom Revised Treaty that provided for non-discrimination, he said. In discussions on CLF which has been under Government’s control since 2009, he said, the Duprey faction has admitted that significant funds from the Eastern Caribbean flowed into TT from the Eastern Caribbean.

He said that a Trinidadian taking out an insurance policy in Grenada was compensated, but he as a Grenadian taking out a policy in TT was not compensated.

That affects, he said, “the core of our morality as a Caribbean people.” Civil society advocate, Afra Raymond in his presentation said, the assets of CLF and its liabilities grew because of financial contributions from policy holders from TT and across the region, except for Jamaica.

The shareholders agreement and the memorandum of understanding signed between Government and CLF in 2009 excluded repayment to anybody outside of TT. “Philosophically, as Caribbean people,” he questioned whether the agreement was legitimate, equitable and fair to all concerned.”

He was the father of a four-year-old boy.

Roodal was driving his car along Brothers Road when at about 5 pm, as he was passing Brothers Road Presbyterian School, lost control of the car.

The car flipped several times before coming to a stop at a nearby drain. Relatives described Roodal as a loving, jovial, helpful and hard-working person. “He would do anything to make an honest dollar,” said his mother who did not want to be named. “I will miss calling out his name in the morning. Every morning as I wake up I would call him, and he would answer back, ‘yes mommy’.” The woman said the last time she spoke with Roodal was a few hours earlier when he dropped her and his son off at Don Moore Junction so they could go to church.

An autopsy at the Forensic Science Centre in St James confirmed Roodal died from internal injuries consistent with a car accident.

Before being reported missing, Charles was seen at her home in KP Lands at about 4 pm two Mondays ago. The teenager was found by police and returned to her parents.

Mohammed, who was part of the TT Under-17 squad that won the Regional Under-17 title last week, will lead defending champions TT against Jamaica in round one.

In other round one matches, Leeward Islands will face Guyana and Windward Islands play Barbados.

TT SQUAD: Tariq Mohammed (captain), Aaron Bankay, Avalon Changoor, Gerard Lee Chin, Sachin Emrit, Giovanni Gajadhar, Matthew Gittens, Anderson Mahase, Justin Manick, Aneil Pitiram, Andrew Rambarran, Chadeon Raymond, Kyle Roopchand, Darren Samlal.

FIXTURES Round One – Today: Leeward Islands vs Guyana – Crab Hill; Windward Islands vs Barbados – Weymouth “A”; Jamaica vs TT – Brighton.

Round Two – Friday: Barbados vs Leeward Islands – Three Ws Oval; TT vs Guyana – Lucas Street; Jamaica vs Windward Islands – Crab Hill.

Round Three – Monday: Leeward Islands vs TT – KMV Oval; Barbados vs Jamaica – Lucas Street; Guyana vs Windward Islands – Weymouth “A”.

Round Four – August 2: Jamaica vs Leeward Islands – Lucas Street; Windward Islands vs TT – Three Ws Oval; Guyana vs Barbados – KMV Oval.

Round Five – August 4: Leeward Islands vs Windward Islands – Lucas Street; Jamaica vs Guyana – Three Ws Oval; TT vs Barbados – Crab Hill.

At the launch of two programmes at SITAL College of Tertiary Education Limited in Tacarigua yesterday, Richards said the standard has deteriorated drastically.

He hopes the broadcasting course go a long way in improving the skills of communicators.

Also launched in commemoration of SITAL’S 25th anniversary was a programme in eco tourism.

Richards, an Independent Senator, will be one of the lecturers in the broadcasting programme.

“I have no problem with colloquial language but,” he said.

“I have always said colloquial language and local parlance must be an option, not because you cannot speak standard English, it should be used in addition to your ‘mysterious’ standard English.

Very often we turn on the radio or look at the television we hear the mispronunciation of words. It is confusing to me.” Richards said the course aims to look at youth and also improve communication skills, not only in media but across the board.

He said to be successful in any sector, being an effective communicator is key in service industry.

“In politics, in education, in medicine, in law, you can have all the knowledge you want inside of yourself and if you cannot communicate that knowledge or information effectively, you are not going to be as effective in your field.” Richards said media and communication services for the period 2014 to 2015 accounts for $5.6 billion in business and has increased despite the economic challenge.

“It tells you of the scope of the sector of media and communication services in Trinidad and Tobago, inclusive of radio, television, and that is not counting advertising and other service industries.” SITAL’S executive director Ann Marina White said they are excited to introduce the programmes in keeping with their vision to contribute to national development by offering a curriculum that meets the needs of the industry and is in alignment with the country’s goals.

“We do not only want to respond to market needs, but to look ahead to the creation of new or expanded markets which are suitable for our student base.”

Devon Edwards,. a technician who is. from Malabar, is also. charged with two. counts of robbery. He. was charged over the. weekend and joins. Mohammed’s brother. Solomon Baksh, 54,. and Wayne Liverpool,. 25, as people charged. for the murders of Mohammed. and Vedesh. which were committed. on June 28.

Baksh and Liverpool. appeared in court on. July 17.

The bodies of Mohammed. and Subar. were found in the. former’s Azim Baksh. Trace, Malabar home.

Both had their throats. slit.

.

So I was happy like pappy when I read that national hero Hasely Crawford, also called Crawfie and Rajpaul, was being honoured with a travelling exhibition titled “Invicta” featuring his athletic career and memorabilia.

The exhibition has been curated by the University of the West Indies (UWI) and produced by the National Gas Company (NGC). It runs at the Alma Jordan Library, UWI, from July 25 to August 18.

This effort shows that we still have thinkers in our society who recognise the worth our national heroes and are prepared to give them their just due. Way to go! I was 22 years of age and was following Crawfie’s career as a sprinter at the Munich Olyimpics Germany. Crawfie, who showed true grit as a sprinter, was injured in the semi-finals of the 100 metres but still qualified for the final, which he ran with a bandaged leg.

He did not win the race but came roaring back in Montreal in 1976, striking our first ever Olympic gold medal.

Crawfie was feted and given the Trinity Cross for his effort, and so burnished his name on the national and the international landscape.

Calypsonians Kitchener (Aldwyn Roberts) and Maestro (Cecil Hume) rushed in to pay tribute with songs, Hasely Crawford and Gold, respectively.

In my view, Crawfie was not given the respect he deserved in latter years, forcing calypsonian Explainer (Winston Henry) to lash out with the song Don’t Treat A Hero So, a gem of a composition.

I am calling on young people to go out and bond with this exhibition and learn about a true national hero, if they haven’t already, who rose to the top of his game from humble beginnings.

I humbly suggest that the NGC tops off this effort with the long awaited bronze statue featuring his iconic Olympic start or finish with finger pointing to the sky. Of course, this statue must be positioned prominently at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port-of-Spain.

This will be money well spent, and a fitting tribute to the legacy of a great hero. One for the legendary netballer Jean Pierre can also be looked at.

KEITH ANDERSON via email

A single murder was sensational news. Villages and communities alike interacted. Now you don’t dare cross that invisible line.

So we gained some wealth and lost our humanity. I will always recall the advice of my father, Enzo Fortune: “We love things and use people, when we should love people and use things.” Today a man is measured by his material worth, regardless of how it is acquired. There has been a shift from when a man’s worth was his character and word. This development only indicated a loss of values.

Our personal values exist in relation to cultural values, either in agreement with or divergence from prevailing norms.

Social values form an important part of the culture of a society. Values account for the stability of social order. They provide the general guidelines for social conduct.

Any attempt at progress will be doomed if we do not address societal tendencies towards criminality and criminal clientelism as being the norm.

COLIN FORTUNE Arima