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Photo of Rachel Bhagwandeen via CMC.
CMC – An 11-year-old child who died while protecting her nine-year-old brother from a vicious dog attack was awarded the Hummingbird Medal, Bronze, on Sunday night, as Trinidad and Tobago honoured several of its citizens on the 47th anniversary of the country becoming a republic.Rachel Bhagwandeen received the award posthumously for gallantry. The tragedy happened at a relative home in Vistabella, south of here on August 26 last year. The dog, a mixed breed mauled the Vistabella Presbyterian School student inside the bedroom of the family’s home.Rachel and her brother Jaylon were watching television and the dog walked into the room.Rachel pushed Jaylon to the door and told him to run for his life. He ran and alerted his mother, Seema Bhagwandeen, 41, and other relatives nearby, who rushed to try to save the child. Seema later hailed her daughter as a hero for saving Jaylon.
The Humming Bird Medal may be awarded for loyal and devoted service in any field of human endeavour or for gallantry or other humane action to Trinidad and Tobago.
President’s House in announcing the list of the national awardees, said that three professors from the University of the West Indies (UWI) received the country’s highest award, the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ORTT) awarded to anyone, citizen or non-citizen,who has rendered distinguished and outstanding service to TT.
They are Professors Clement Imbert, John Agard, and Pathmanathan Umaharan.
Imbert was honoured for innovation, steelpan technology, education and culture and the arts.
“He currently serves at the UWI as University Professor (Emeritus) in mechanical /metallurgical engineering. As part of both the engineering and education fraternity, he was able to use his knowledge to assist in securing accreditation for the local engineering fraternity.
“Prof Imbert has contributed significantly to the development of the steelpan. He is co-founder of the UWI Steelpan Development Centre and a member of the team that developed the G-Pan.”
Agard is being recognised for environment/climate change and biodiversity protection.
He is the executive director of the Global Institute for Climate-Smart and Resilient Development at UWI.
“His research is widely recognised regionally and internationally, from natural resources management, water quality, marine and terrestrial ecology to the impact of climate change on natural and human systems.
“Prof Agard served as co-chair to a group of independent scientists appointed by the UN Secretary-General to draft the second quadrennial Global Sustainable Development Report in 2023. His vision is that of a society which recognises other forms of wealth including biodiversity that exist beyond the limit of GDP.”
Umaharan is being recognised for his services in the spheres of science/agricultural development. He is the director of the Cocoa Research Centre at the UWI. As director, Umaharan oversaw the conversion of the Cocoa Research Unit into a full-fledged campus centre.
“His research projects resulted in genetic approaches to overcome losses associated with disease, and improving tolerance to climate change. This has led the way to the development of the first molecular breeding programme in cocoa, a global DNA fingerprinting service, a quality certification service & the improvement of cocoa quality. Through his efforts the UWI has now been named by the EU as the top cocoa research institution globally.”
