The 2025 cycle of MPower TT, a Ministry of Sport and Community Development initiative designed to provide young men from communities of focus with a clear pathway to sustainable success, was launched on Friday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Envisaged as a pilot unemployment programme six years ago, MPower TT has evolved into a platform of hope that empowers young men from communities of focus to rise, succeed, and lead through the development of life and career skills.
The brainchild of the programme, Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis, welcomed its 2025 cohort of 120 young men on Friday.
“And I tell you, in “third world” countries like ours, many people see investment only as a building, or a brace wall, or a drain, or something that they can touch. But we are in the business of people-building. It’s an initiative that’s about transforming, not just individuals, but transforming, changing the narrative in your family, changing the narrative in your community, and building a better Trinidad and Tobago.”
One of the programme mentors, Selvyn Lewis, reminded the young men how powerful their personal brand is in impacting the world.
“Everything that we do, we have to consciously understand or say to ourselves, ‘What am I representing?’ You know what I mean? At the end of the day, we can’t sit back and keep saying, ‘Yuh see Trinidad, boy? Whey boy.’ Every morning, that’s what you hear people say, ‘Aye, boy.’ Very few people ask themselves: “What am I doing to create the change that I would want to see?'”
Benefiting from deep mentorship, life skills training, career guidance, and community mediation services, Minister Cudjoe-Lewis shared some solid success stories.
“Nathaniel Babour, you spoke to him yourself this morning, who had dreams about turning his skills into a thriving business. Today, he boasts about Barbour Enterprise. We speak to Shane Ramsey, who has taken his creative talents to COSTAATT to study graphic design. And that’s just a few, all showcasing the tangible impact of MPower TT in their lives, in their communities, and making their little contribution to the development and growth of Trinidad and Tobago.”
MPower graduates Nathaniel Babour and Isiah Mandley returned to encourage the new cohort to “push through” and “apply themselves.” Their continued participation is a testament to the MPower TT programme’s emphasis on “empowered men, empowering other men,” not only through personal and professional development and capacity building but also through a sense of belonging.