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Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross
(TTRC), like any National Society, attracts people with
a genuine interest in the needs of others.
These people – call them
volunteers - give of their time freely, week after week,
month after month, year after year. They may or may not
be recognized for their time of service to others. But
they persevere.
Nicole Hendrickson and Christian Serrette are two such
people.
Nicole, 30, freelances with a number of local non-governmental
organizations like the Trinidad and Tobago Youth Council,
where she is its gender affairs officer. But the Red Cross
is close to her heart.
She has been a volunteer with
the TTRC’s “Together
We Can” (TWC) peer-to-peer HIV education programme
for at least three years. “I enjoy meeting people
one on one. Moving around with the TWC team also helps
me get to know the country better.”
Her involvement in TWC as an
Instructor Trainer has helped her gain experience facilitating
sessions. It is a skill which, she admits, she lacks.
She is working on improving this skill.
“This helps
my overall development and helps me deal with an age
group (13-19 years) that I have limited interaction with.”
She described the TWC programme as quite informative and
hopes to eventually become a National Trainer, then a Regional
Trainer in the programme.
Unlike Nicole, Christian, you
could say, grew up in the Red Cross. This 28 year old
has been a volunteer since he was 11 years. He became
involved through the Red Cross’ school
cadets programme.
Since 2003, he has also been
involved in TWC. That was the year the programme was
started in Trinidad and Tobago. “When
they opened the HIV office, they were looking for young
persons to be trained (in TWC) so I was part of the first
group of National Trainers.”
His involvement in the Red Cross has
been personally beneficial in many ways, he says. “Red
Cross has certainly contributed to my personal growth.
I have gotten to know my country. I have met a lot of people
- different kinds of people – and
learnt to adapt and mix with everyone.”
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| Nicole
Hendrickson and Christian Serrette |
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He
says when he first started, he was known in
only the Northern branch of the TTRC. Now,
his counterparts in the Southern and Tobago
branches know him well.
When he is not volunteering,
he is a fire service officer attached to the
Wrightson Road Fire Station, which is the main
fire station in Port of Spain, the capital
of Trinidad.
When he’s not on
rostered for duty at the station, he’s
usually at the Red Cross. The fire service,
which he joined three years ago, has benefited
from his Red Cross responsibilities and skills,
especially with driving experience and first
aid knowledge. “I’m just Red Cross.
Totally Red Cross.”
Nicole and Christian have
been officially recognized for their volunteer
spirit by the TTRC.
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