Trinidad and Tobago’s government will announce its 2024 fiscal budget at 1:30pm today- October 2nd, 2023. It comes as the country continues to face a crime situation that many fear has affected international investment and foreign exchange earnings. On Friday, four children between the ages of 10 and 19, were laid to rest after being shot and killed at their Arima home one week earlier. There has been no arrest in the case.

With unceasing criminal activity taking place in a country once coined, ‘paradise’ by many of its nationals, both at home and abroad, there is a weight being carried by many citizens, that has become overbearing. Entertainer, Orlando Octave has stood resolute in his personal mission to use his celebrity and voice, to change the present situation though. Aided by two close friends and like-minded entertainment professionals, and engaging other artistes daily, Octave’s mission is becoming clearer with minute by minute.

Orlando, together with events professional, Jean Marc Aime and music producer, Randal Alexander of PengCo Music, have launched a campaign they call, UNITTY. Firmly leading the effort, Octave uses his spiritual enthusiasm and love for life and people to fuel his desire. Together with other Trinidad and Tobago creatives, such as Isasha, Erphaan Alves, Preedy, Jaron Nurse, DJ Lila and others, the mission to cleanse the minds of the country’s aggressors, is now underway. 

“The overall mission is to curtail crime in our country- to give our young boys and girls a fighting chance,” explained Randal Alexander. A father himself, the super producer who has worked in the entertainment industry for many years, says he stands firmly in support of positive reinforcement. “What we would like to do is transform the media’s narrative, turning it from negative, to positive. The loudest noise is heard from a distance. If that noise is negative, a larger cross section of our society feeds on this negative noise. We must change that- flipping it from negative to positive,” he enforced. 

Already, team UNITTY has produced a number of short interactive videos, engaging artistes on the topic of the crime epidemic that is sweeping through the land. In one of the videos, soca artiste Preedy, whose real name is, Akeem Chance, says he’s learnt that the most powerful words in the art of war is “I apologize.” “The problems and the solutions are right there,” he noted, mindfully telling the world that he will forever stand for unity. These videos have been making the rounds on social media, trickling into the subconscious of the people looking in. 

Support for the initiative is tantamount to its overall success. “Our mission’s success is based on the amount of support we receive from people who have the resources to help – people who want to help,” said Alexander. Together with the core members of the team, Alexander revealed that a number of partners have shown interest and as such, a 100 day ‘POSITIVITY’ campaign has been launched. “This will be the forerunner to the main event – a coming together, a unifying and uplifting concert for change – a peace festival, which will take place at the close of the year.”

Radio stations and other media groups have been invited, and encouraged to partner on this tremendous undertaking. “This is no small feat. This has to be intentional. We also understand the importance of a covert approach, because our desire is not to turn the youth away,” said Alexander. 

Trinidad and Tobago’s international reputation tarnished to a large extent, as a result of crime, Octave, Alexander, Aimey and so many others who’ve committed to the cause, say something must be done. “It’s better to try and fail than the alternative. This is our country. Our children and generations to come, will inherit our individual legacies, here, in this land. How can we stand by and watch this place, once considered Paradise, fall apart and not even try to create change?, he questioned. 

Team UNITTY is calling on citizens, and corporations near and far, to take a leap of faith, in the name of little Faith and others like her. “They did not ask to be here. It is our job as parents, leaders, professionals, businessmen and women, to take care of them, provide a safe world for them, establish a no-nonsense approach to crime and criminal behavior. It can be done and it must be done. We must save our nation.”

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To learn more about UNITTY, follow @codeisunitty on Instagram and to partner, call, 868-685-7364.