There are plans to establish a hotline for men in crisis. Errol Fabien, organiser of yesterday’s Walk-a-Son hosted by Gayelle, said the hotline will provide a listening ear for men who find themselves in adverse situations.
Referring to statistics of male-on-male and male-on-female violence, Fabien said: “I feel men who have somebody they can talk to, that can help to diffuse some of the situations they find themselves in. I also feel that many of the young men who find themselves in crime are not spending time with their fathers and grandfathers.”
Fabien, who spoke to the T&T Guardian the end of yesterday’s walk, described it as an exciting and wonderful success. He said he was not discouraged by the small number of participants that turned up at the Eddie Hart Savannah, Tacarigua. Despite the inclement weather, fathers, sons, grandfathers and great-grandfathers turned up to make the five-mile walk along the Eastern Main Road from Tacarigua to Curepe.
Fabien said: “I really believe there are a lot of conversations missing between men in T&T. We need to spend time with the young males in our families and to make the time for them.” Reflecting on the disconnect he sometimes experiences with his own sons, Fabien said his father was an inspiration to him and similarly, he is aiming to ensure his sons experience that love and warmth. “The time we don’t spend with them today is gone and will never come back again,” he said.
The youngest participant in yesterday’s walk was three-month-old Kruz Lucky who accompanied his dad Khalil, 27. The two captured the prize for Youngest Pair, while Ricardo Sandy and his family copped the Oldest Pair and Largest Family prizes. Other categories included Loudest Cheering Section, Pair With Most Grey Hair, Yummiest Tummy, Most Outstanding Bald Head and the differently-abled.
A prize was also warded to the family in which a son, father, grandfather and great-grandfather participated. Among the sponsors were Flow, First Citizens, Phoenix Park, Almawi Ltd, Vemco, Yummy Tummy, Hilo, Nestle, Unilever, Hand Arnold, Bermudez, Coca-Cola, Sagicor, Frosty’s and Tales and Treasures.