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The Tallman Foundation, an NGO based in Gonzales, Trinidad, was born out of a mother’s traumatic experience – the kidnapping of the child of Michelle Jordan Ayong Chee, the founder of the foundation. A former student of the foundation and now a practising lawyer, Khrystanne George chatted with Neil Parsanlal on the news programme, Altos.
As George, who served as a student coordinator, explained, “Michelle, together with her close friends and acquaintances and her family, created and spearheaded this initiative with the support of members of the community, including persons like Archbishop Jason and….Father Clyde Harvey, or Bishop Harvey.”
The foundation’s mission was to provide young people in the crime-ridden area of East Dry River a chance to broaden their horizons through free arts programmes.
“Young men and women were given the opportunity to try something new,” George said, listing offerings like dance, music, drama, videography, and photography.
The name ‘Tallman’ has a deeper meaning beyond just referring to someone’s height. As George explained: “Tallman is not just about someone’s height. It’s about standing tall in society. Our watch words are ‘stand tall, reach further, and see beyond’. So, stand tall, have the confidence to try and to do and to be. Be your authentic self.”
Significantly, the driving force behind Tallman was a group of women determined to empower the youth. As George noted, “The majority of this group is women.”
Their goal, she explained, was not charity but “to build bridges between the members in that society and also to give young people the chance to do something they have never done before.”
In addition to the arts programmes, the foundation had a mentorship component. George shared, “We had a mentorship programme where every Friday we would have engaged with talks. And this allowed everyone in the programme at the time to speak with facilitators…and allowed us to talk about our problems, talk about current situations, talk about handling anger, talk about navigating through the world.” This provided a crucial safe space for the young participants.
The impact has been profound, with many success stories emerging from the programmes. George highlighted participants like Kamal and Ishmael who are “forging their way in Dubai’s entertainment industry”, dancer Kevon Charles who was in a Mical Teja’s music video, and brothers Mugabe and Shamaki Thomas who overcame troubled pasts to blossom into young men.
The foundation also collaborated with people like Wendell Manwarren and the 3 Canal movement. George herself went from a student, to a practising attorney for the past seven years. “The success that Tallman has is more than just giving people a chance to do a workshop,” she said. “It’s giving students a chance to see beyond.”
On International Women’s Day, the women-led Tallman Foundation stands as a powerful example of using the arts to create change. George advised the young women of East Dry River, “Stand tall in who you are. See beyond. Reach further. Your current situation is not your permanent situation. And use whatever opportunities you have and try and set a plan for yourself. Just because you’re having a bad day today or just because your situation is not the best doesn’t mean that you have to stay in that situation.”
Though currently inactive, George expressed hope that Tallman will revive, continuing its mission to uplift the community’s youth through artistic expression and mentorship.
