Toco Times News Magazine Summer 2020 Issue (Sample)

SUMMER 2020
02
LET’S TALK TOCO
Editor’s commentary
03
07
09
15
16
cover
BUSINESS
The Disruptor
Toco born and bred entrepreneur makes his mark on the home delivery market selling
what he knows best – produce!
BOOKS
Vivian Jack’s “Toco”: Book Review
TRAVEL
8 Reasons To Visit Toco
The beauty of this north coast region captures everyone
who lay eyes on it.
FEATURES
Len Peters:
On Family. On Volunteerism. On Turtle Conservation.
SUPPORT LOCAL
Nine Businesses to Keep on Your Radar
Local businesses from Matelot to Matura
PHOTOS Ezra Bartholomew, Tevin Mills
COVER Akeel Thomas shot by Ezra Bartholomew
CONTRIBUTORS
Anslem James, Ezra Bartholomew,
Tevin Mills, Keishel Williams, Maria Pereira

EDITOR , S
COMMENTARY
Villagers on their way to the Warden’s
office to receive their pay in the 1930s.
Photo Courtesy: T&T Guardian Archives
“
Independent locally-owned businesses recirculate a far greater percentage of revenue
locally compared to locally-owned franchises. In other words, going local creates more
local wealth and jobs.”
– The Multiplier Effect of Local Independent Businesses
Believe it or not, the Toco
region was once vibrant and
self-sustaining. Almost a
century ago, Toco was the epicenter
of commerce for the northeast coast.
There were many small businesses and
essential traders such as shoemakers,
butchers, and many, many tailors.
Central Toco was home to the bus
depot and government workers were
paid right there at the warden’s office.
Money circulated in the community.
After reading the novel “Toco,”
by Vivian Jack, (a recommended
must-read) I saw just how much our
community has regressed in the last
90 years. Set in the 1930s, the novel
paints a vivid picture of life in Toco
before things fell apart.
I’ve heard my father, and a few
others from his generation and older,
suggest that when the government
workers were stopped being paid
in Toco, that was the “beginning of
the end” for the region. When people
began to go directly to Sangre
Grande to cash their paycheques,
pension cheques, etc that is where
the money that once circulated in the
Toco region remained. People began
shopping and conducting most of
their business in Sangre Grande and
the small businesses in Toco began to
suffer. Now, years later, we are yet to
recover from our economic downturn.
One of the primary reasons for
launching The Toco Times is to
highlight the resilience and achievements
of our people. We still have the
potential and resources to develop our
own businesses, create our own jobs,
and become a self-sustaining region
through agriculture and tourism,
our most prized resources. We are
more educated, just as creative, and
have more access to information and
technology than our ancestors in the
1930s. Why are we letting them put
us to shame?
This is why our social responsibility
at The Toco Times is to help our
community regain its independence
with this platform by providing information
to facilitate social, economic,
and educational development. But of
course, we cannot do it without the
support of the community. This is an
endeavor for the people, by the people
and I for one can’t wait to see how we,
as a people will rise to the occasion.
K. Williams, EIC
The Toco Times
Inspirational. Aspirational. Independent
01
THE TOCO TIMES SUMMER 2020 02

Photo: Ezra Bartholomew
The Disruptor
Toco born and bred entrepreneur makes his mark on the home delivery
market selling what he knows best – produce!
by KEISHEL WILLIAMS
S
ince the need to take care of a family outpaces any
other need for most young men in rural areas, a primal
hunger for success comes early. Hard work, therefore,
comes naturally to men from the countryside. Born and
raised in Toco, Trinidad, Akeel Thomas, 33, knows of
this lifestyle all too well as he builds a successful produce
delivery business while working full-time as a Research
Assistant at Namdevco. “My day starts at 2 a.m every day
and it finishes around 11 p.m. and I WORK!” he said with
a laugh.
Mr Thomas’ knowledge of, and love for, agriculture in
its many forms is evident by the way he speaks about his
03
produce, farming-culture, and the need to reduce Trinidad
and Tobago’s TT $6.1 billion food importation Bill. Mr
Thomas wasn’t always sure of this path that has now seen
him quickly growing to become the country’s number one
produce delivery service, but coming from the community
of Toco, known for fishing and farming, his rise to the top
of this field is no surprise.
After attempting to launch several other businesses,
the young would-be entrepreneur started Harvest 2 Home
Premium Produce in 2014, as a wholesale business. He
stopped six months later because of “poor structure and
lack of business acumen,” he said. But he wasn’t calling it
“
“I always wanted to own a business
and I realised that if you want to get to
the top, the best thing is to help people
along the way. When you think back to
the people who did great things, they
always have some greater calling than
their self; than just their own selfish
reason.”
THE TOCO TIMES SUMMER 2020 04

quits with this business. He was just hitting pause, and
he was determined to see this one through. He returned
to the University of the West Indies to study Project
Management, and earned himself a Masters Degree. “This
opened my eyes to the extent of where my business could
grow, in terms of selling,” he said. “You realise, when you
get in agriculture, the opportunities are endless.” Armed
with his new-found knowledge, he relaunched Harvest
2 Home in 2018, not as a wholesale business this time,
but as a retail business. This revamped business took off,
marketing fruit and vegetable packages with free delivery
directly to homes across
Trinidad.
The produce in the
boxes “changes weekly to
keep things interesting,”
Mr Thomas said. With
a vibrant social media
presence which boasts
10.6k followers on
Instagram – Harvest 2
Home’s primary platform
for taking orders – and
over 6,000 followers on
Facebook, his business
quickly amassed great
reviews online and offline.
One post read, “I must
say that I recommended
you all to many of my
friends. This is definitely
value for money and the
produce were fresh and
clean,” Tabatar Nurse-
Adams recently wrote on
the company’s Facebook
page. “Keep giving us great
quality products and service
and you have a lifetime
customer.”
For Mr Thomas, after years of failing businesses, and
learning the hard way that “working for someone else
wasn’t paying the bills,” his business today, is a dream
come true. Taking care of his family has always been his
top priority and owning his own business helped to steer
everything in that direction. “I need to ensure my sister
goes back to school, I need to ensure my mother has
something on the table when the day comes, and I need to
make sure that the people around me could come up,” Mr
Thomas said. “You can’t do that working for somebody else.
Papaya (pawpaw) getting ready for packaging and
distribution. Image: Harvest 2 Home FB page
So I have to be the person to create it or bring it for them.”
Mr Thomas’ business grew from being a one-man
operation where he did everything himself – including
sourcing produce, packing and making deliveries, to hiring
eight workers in the past two years. An integral part of his
business model was providing employment to ambitious
young men like himself. “At the end of the day everybody
want to self-actualise, everybody want to live their best life,
everybody want to live in their greatness,” he said. “I always
wanted to own a business and I realized that if you want
to get to the top, the best thing is to help people along the
way.”
“When you think back
to the people who did
great things, they always
have some greater calling
they their self; than just
their own selfish reason,”
he said. He used his Toco
upbringing as a ‘guiding
principle’ for his business.
Having been raised in a
close-knit community, Mr
Thomas said that the first
quality one needs to exhibit
is respect for self and
others. “Respect will take
you so far. Just respecting
yourself, respecting
somebody, respecting
somebody else space,
somebody else property,” he
said sternly. “You have to be
respectful. So you carry that
into anything you do, into
your business, the way you
treat your workers.”
This type of interaction,
he said, was passed down
to him by observing how his parents and the elders in
the community communicated with others. Even young
children would listen when they were scolded by someone
who was not their parent.
He remembered those lessons when he formed his
business, and rejected a conventional management
hierarchy. “I apply the same structure [in my business]. I
don’t really have an organizational structure. Everybody on
the same level,” he said. “I work as hard as somebody I hire.
They could send me out, they could tell me ‘go and pick
that up’ and I will listen.”
Mr Thomas sees himself as having an easy-going and
respectful nature, and those who know him agree. They
say he balances that ‘always-ready’ smile with a drive
to maintain high standards and keep his clients happy.
“I’ve never heard any complaints about him,” said Kelton
Francis, his childhood friend. “No one ever said he was late
or his goods wasn’t good. He always brings quality goods
always on time. Even if he has an issue, he always calls
ahead and explains. Even if his goods are smaller than the
previous month, he always makes up for it by adding more
in the next delivery.”
Mr Francis said his friend’s tenacity and seriousness
towards his business are what contributed to his success:
Mr Thomas’ determination to take what he has learned in
life and in business brought him to the place he is today.
“He actually used to travel to drop goods for people before
he actually got his vehicle and started to deliver,” Mr
Francis said. “He always used to travel to different parts of
the country, hire different drivers and to take him around.
That more or less shows his drive and his willingness to
stick with something even though it was difficult. A quality
you rarely see in young people today.”
Mr Thomas is also willing to mentor young people
striving to achieve their own goals, especially those who
work in his business. He’s ready to see more people in rural
areas, including his hometown Toco, develop themselves
by utilising the natural resources at their disposal. “You
come out here [in the city] and see people packaging sea
moss and selling it. Why can’t we do that? The things we
take for granted, we have free right there in the north
coast. Today, you see people packaging these things and
selling them,” Mr Thomas lamented. “When you go to
areas like Manzanilla, where there was once acres of estates
of coconut now nonexistent, and then you go down to
the CARICOM wharf and you see hundreds of bags of
coconut coming in. It begs the question, why can’t we
go back to that? -- Why do we have to be spending so
much on importing produce?” His passion extends beyond
wanting to see people in his community do well, but he
wants his country to look at the agriculture industry with a
sharper lens as an intentional step towards food security.
As for how other young entrepreneurs can position
Mr Thomas delivering to a satisfied customer. Photo: Ezra
Bartholomew
“You have to be respectful. So you carry that into anything you do, into your
business, the way you treat your workers.” This type of interaction, he said,
was passed down to him by observing how his parents and the elders in the
community communicated with others.
themselves to build their own business? It’s all about hard
work. When he speaks to aspiring entrepreneurs, he lets
them know the reality of the business acumen. “Show me
how you spend your day,” he said, “and I will tell you a
lot about what is going to happen to you in the next six
months to a year.”
05
THE TOCO TIMES SUMMER 2020 06

In his debut book, Toco, Vivian Jack brings to life the
spirit of Toco in this recollection of country life in
Trinidad during the SECOND WORLD WAR. Jack
was born and raised in the small village of Toco, Trinidad,
and recounts true stories of his own childhood in the remote
countryside during the '30s and '40s through the eyes of
the curious and mischievous main character, Gabriel. Jack
demonstrates how Gabriel navigated the challenges and
joys of childhood in a mostly impoverished but happy
community. The novel follows the Nathaniel family, of which
Gabriel is the youngest. Though the war is present it takes a
backseat in young Gabriel’s eyes and serves as a mere source
of entertainment and curiosity in the story’s backdrop:
rowdy soldiers based in Galera, who sometimes terrorize
the community during their drunken exploits and give the
children bubble gum.
review by
KEISHEL WILLIAMS
Tree to the junction during Carnival, and even visiting the
Obeah man to ‘fix’ a neighbor. There’s a sense of nostalgia
in Jack’s writing, but it’s also witty and sharp and filled with
colloquial slang that can easily still be found in Toco today.
Although there are a few spelling discrepancies in the names
of neighboring villages and streets mentioned throughout
the novel, Jack paints strong imagery of these locations as
they were over 90 years ago. It is fun to try to identify where
some of the landmarks mentioned in the novel are currently
located in modern Toco.
In addition to bringing decades-old locations to life, Jack
uses food in many ways to show the class system as well as
relationships in various households and with neighbors in
the community: “ ‘This breadfruit taste morish. Ah coulda
eat a piece more,’ says Mr. Nathaniel. That was his way of
complimenting his wife for cooking such an enjoyable meal.
“This breadfruit taste morish. Ah coulda eat a piece more,’ says Mr. Nathaniel.
That was his way of complimenting his wife for cooking such an enjoyable meal.
The supper consisted of roast, half-ripe breadfruit and saltfish buljol with limebud
tea and goat’s milk.”
BOOK REVIEW
TOCO
A NOVEL BY TOCO NATIVE VIVIAN JACK
“
Gabriel and many of his school friends believed that girls did not
fall in love naturally, or else they wouldn’t have babies with the local
police and other men twice their age. They had to be using some
kind of supernatural powers, or as the boys used to say, “Ee mus be
put ah charm on she.”
From learning how to ‘charm’ young girls at the Toco
E.C. School, to making his first trip to Port-of-Spain,
Jack’s vivid recollection of Toco life during the early 20th
century is a journey through the economic and social life
the inhabitants of Toco: life on the bay by the fish depot,
roasting Jonny bake in an outside fire, curing meats outside
for Christmas, moving children over an open grave to avoid
returning spirits, jumping up with Jab Jab bands from Palm
The supper consisted of roast, half-ripe breadfruit and saltfish
buljol with lime-bud tea and goat’s milk.” (49) The listing of
foods that were common then and only familiar in a few
households now are littered throughout the book, evoking a
sense of nostalgia.
Toco is about family, community, and Caribbean
countryside culture. Jack accomplishes the task of bringing
to life the sights, sounds, and life of the people of Toco.
SYNOPSIS
This is a story centered on the Nathaniel family of Toco Village in the Caribbean Islands of Trinidad and Tobago, West
Indies in the '30s and '40s. All the stories are based on actual events as seen through the eyes of Gabriel, a boy, from the
time he was aged five until he turned fourteen. The author’s intention is to give people an idea of the culture and day-today
life of these hard-working, happy, superstitious but religious people in a small village where there was no serious crime.
Pub Date: Oct. 30, 2012
ISBN: 978-1479731640
Page Count: 156
Publisher: Xlibris
07
THE TOCO TIMES SUMMER 2020 08

BALANDRA
BASIN
After a mild hike, you are able to
experience many opportunities at this
tempting, tranquil, and calm basin
where people can swim and relax.
8
REASONS
TO VISIT
The beauty of this north coast region captures everyone who lay eyes on it.
WORDS BY ANSELM JAMES
PHOTOS BY TEVIN MILLS

GRANDE L’ANSE BAY
Locally known as ‘Almond Bay,’ Grande L’Anse Bay is a
hidden beach in Toco where you can explore its treasures - the
sea, sand, and sun. Come and explore this treasure!
TOCO LIGHTHOUSE
One of the most iconic sites in the Toco region is this historic
lighthouse. Everyone who visits Toco and environs must experience
the Toco Lighthouse on Galera Road, Toco. Take a walk back down
memory lane and witness what sailors would have seen as they
traversed the Northeast coast.
SAUT BAY PARK
(Pronounced Sobay locally)
A very attractive site in L’Anse Noire, whereby visitors can appreciate the beach, a waterfall, and nature in all its beauty. Come and
visit this place of natural beauty, where you get a myriad of experiences by just visiting one site.
MATELOT WATERFALL
GRANDE L’ANSE BAY
In order to get to this waterfall, it requires a bit of driving, then some hiking, which of course is worth every bit of energy expended.
There you can indulge yourself in the waters, relax, and rejuvenate.
11 THE TOCO TIMES SUMMER 2020
12

HOMARD WATERFALL
Nestled deep in the village of Grande Riviere, you can enjoy a bath refresh yourself at Homard Waterfall.
SAUT BAY WATERFALL
A very attractive site in L’Anse Noire, whereby visitors can appreciate the beach, a waterfall, and nature in all its beauty.
Come and visit this place of natural beauty, where you get a myriad of experiences by just visiting one site.
RIO SECO WATERFALL
Located in Salybia village. Visiting this waterfall offers hikers a treat and a reward. After a 30-minute hike, you arrive at this majestic
site. Take a swim in the refreshing water and get ready for the trek back down.
13 THE TOCO TIMES SUMMER 2020
14

LEN PETERS:
On Family.
On Volunteerism.
On Turtle
Conservation.
by
TOCO TIMES STAFF
Len Peters is turning 50 this year
and he has big plans. After this
interview, he’s hustling off to his
five-acres of land where he grows fruits
such as bananas, mangoes, various citrus
and more in his garden. This is a peaceful
pastime he enjoys. But his even bigger
plans are to spend time with his loved
ones.
“All I am seeing on the horizon is my
family,” he says. “When I look right I’m
seeing my wife, when I look left I’m seeing
my daughter who will be turning 17 soon
so she may not be around the family. So
I’m seeing an opportunity to spend time
with my wife.”
After almost 30 years working
tirelessly as a turtle conservationist, Mr
Peters is ready to slow down. He’s a man
who has received numerous accolades
and recognition for his work and has
quietly built a reputation as the man who
“saves the turtles” in Grande Riviere,
Trinidad. Most recently he was the first
Commonwealth Points of Light Award
recipient in 2018, a special award from
Queen Elizabeth II that recognises
inspiring volunteers from the 52 countries
of the Commonwealth. When the
Photo: Tevin Mills
Forestry Division went to Grande Riviere
in 1991, trying to get their community
involved in managing the nesting site in
their area, Mr Peters and a small group of
people from the community responded
to their call, forming an organization
known as G.R.E.A.T (Grande Riviere
Environmental Awareness Trust), the
first turtle conservation group in Grande
Riviere.
Fast forward a few decades later,
G.R.E.A.T made way for Grande Riviere
Nature Tour Guide Association, where Mr
Peters is the chairman and oversees both
the touring and the conservation aspects
of this group. His initial passion that got
him started, however, has not waned. He
says becoming a turtle conservationist was
like “paying my dues.”
“I grew up with my grandparents and
I could vividly remember turtle meat
in the fridge. I could vividly remember
the smell and the taste of turtle meat,”
he says. “So for me it was really a sense
of self-penance.” His early involvement
in turtle conservation educated him on
the endangered status of the leatherback
turtle. He also learnt that his village was
a special place because it is one of the
few sites globally, where these turtles
still nest and it has the highest nesting
density for leatherbacks in the world. The
consumption of these turtles for food was
a norm with the people of Grande Riviere,
but when Mr Peters convinced them that
their community would benefit more from
the creatures being alive than dead, his
group was able to steadily maintain a safe
space for more than 20,000 turtles to nest
annually.
A full-time employee at the Water
and Sewage Authority, Mr Peters works
a full shift as an Intake Caretaker before
attending to his other duties as Chairman
of Grande Riviere Nature Tour Guide
Association, Chairman of Grand Riviere
Tourism Development Organization,
and Chairman of Turtle Village Trust,
an organization which oversees all turtle
conservation groups in Trinidad. This is
the first time a community person has
held the position of chairman of the Turtle
Trust. Mr Peters has a full plate. “So I
have to do my day job and then find the
time to manage all these things for no
remuneration,” he says. “And sometimes
it’s really frustrating because people
assume that there are financial benefits for
all of that and that’s just not the case. You
really do it for the passion and I have a
really supportive family and I think that’s
the critical thing.”
As a volunteer in these groups, Mr
Peters understands that there needs to
not only be passion and commitment for
the cause, but “there must be resources
to execute the tasks” he says. This is
something he learned working with a
UN volunteer from the United Nations
Development Program (UNDP) a
few years ago. He strives to ensure the
volunteers in his program find value in
what they’re doing and are provided
with the right resources so they will
continue to return to the program. He
recommends volunteerism at any level,
Hambug Growers
Agricultural produce
Owner: Ramsey Richards/Nicole Voisin
Location: Hambug Trace, Toco
Contact: 1(868) 302-5317/328-2422
Social: None
Delivery?:
The Original Toco Sea Moss
Local sea moss from the shores of Toco.
Owner: Christian McKain
Location: Trois Roches Village, Toco
Contact: 1 (868) 361 - 7992 christianmckain@yahoo.com
Social: @the_original_toco_seamoss (FB)/(IG)
Delivery?: Yes
Decky’s Shop
Welding and small engine repairs.
Owner: Dexter Mendez
Location: Pepper Hill, Toco
Contact: 1 (868) 469-2620
Social: None
Delivery?: N/A
Grande Riviere Chocolate Company
Chocolate products made from cocoa grown in the village
Owner: Grande Riviere Nature Tour Guides Association
Location: Grand Riviere, Toco
Contact: 1(868) 359 - 2478
Social: None
Delivery?: No
Miller’s Landscaping
For your landscaping needs
Owner: Alrick Miller
Location: Toco
Contact: 1(868) 375 - 2027
Social: None
Delivery?: N/A
but only if there are sufficient resources to
assist the volunteers with their duties. His
wife, Charmain Peters, has been actively
involved in his life of volunteerism and
the conservation program for many years
and can be seen as a pillar in this journey.
“She keeps me sane,’ he says about his
wife. “Charmain is the reason why I’m still
doing this after all these years.When I get
home and I feel frustrated, she reminds
me that ‘when you were going to these
meetings you left me and your daughter
here alone to bring this thing together
so don’t give up now.’” As he plans to
incrementally slow down his involvement
in conservation, Mr Peters still has big
dreams for his group in Grande Riviere.
If they could get funding, he says, he
SUPPORT LOCAL
Local businesses from Matelot to Matura
Zee’s Cleaning Supplies
A small business that provides the leading brands in
household cleaning supplies. Have these products delivered
to your front door.
Owner: Zakia Graham
Location: Grand Riviere, Toco
Contact: 1 (868) 340-4610,
zs.cleaningsupplies@gmail.com
Social: Zee’s Cleaning Supplies (FB)
Delivery?: Yes
Michelle’s Lunches
Food and drinks daily
Owner: Annifer Michelle Bacchus
Location: Toco
Contact: 1(868) 266 - 5711
Social: None
Delivery?: No
Palm Tree Stationary
Local bookshop.
Owner: Petal Taylor
Location: Toco
Contact: 1 (868) 348-2095/ 770-2611
Social: None
Delivery?: Yes
would like them to have a full-time
administrative team to manage the sea
turtles exclusively. He also would like to
see a young person from their community
go to university, study marine biology and
return to lead their program as their staff
biologist so they would not have to heavily
depend on external resources and staff to
lead their research.
“That’s my desire. That we don’t have to
be struggling,” he says with a sigh. “That I
could rock back in my rocking chair and
know that the research is being led by
people born and bred in the Toco area and
can create a career path working in these
conservation programs.”
Library and Internet Cafe
WiFi facilities and library located in central Toco.
Owner: Elton Prescot/Miguel Pierre
Location: Toco
Contact: 1 (868) 766-6594/797-6964
Social: None
Delivery?: N/A
15 THE TOCO TIMES SUMMER 2020
16

Toco Times
News Magazine Survey
WE WOULD LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK!!!
HOW DO YOU ACCESS YOUR NEWS? HOW DID YOU LIKE THE TOCO TIMES
SAMPLE NEWS MAGAZINE? WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE IT GREAT FOR
YOU?
The Toco Times project is working to provide the Toco region with local community
news and stories. The publication will report on art, culture, wellness, business,
history, and lifestyle in Toco. It is important for the Toco region to have a platform
where our issues can be addressed, where we can be seen and heard from as valuable
members of society, and where we can receive useful information specific to our
needs as a community. The Toco Times news magazine will offer Toco-centric
information for sustainable social and economic development in our community. The
publication will focus on the villages and micro-villages between Matura to Matelot
in the Toco region including the villages of Matura, Balandra, Rampanalgas, Salybia,
Cumana, Toco, Mission, L'Anse Noire, Sans Souci, Grand Riviere, and Matelot.
Our social responsibility is to help this rural community regain its independence
by providing the adults in Toco with a platform to see their own stories. We also
see an opportunity to provide tools and information to the community to facilitate
social, economic, and educational development. Additionally, we also aim to provide
information to the community on how to utilize Toco’s natural resources – especially
in the tourism and agriculture sectors – to become a self-sustaining region.
HELP US BY PROVIDING FEEDBACK ON THIS SAMPLE ISSUE
OF THE TOCO TIMES NEWS MAGAZINE AND BY PROVIDING
FEEDBACK ON THE NEWS NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE OF TOCO.
Beautiful home nestled
between the trees. Grande
Riviere, Toco. Photo: Tevin Mills
Go to bit.Ly/ttsurvey2020 and complete the quick survey for us so we can get
moving on bringing this great news magazine to you!
17 THE TOCO TIMES SUMMER 2020
18

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Special Thank You to Tevin Mills who served as Art Director and Ms. Maria
Pereira who served as Managing Editor for this sample issue of The Toco Times.
Without their hard work and commitment to the project especially during the
COVID-19 pandemic, this issue may not have come to fruition.