Save A Sole
Save a Sole is the founding project of the Tobias Foundation and is a nonprofit shoe recycling initiative which commenced in 2008. It is founded on the principles of sustainable development and is geared towards the less privileged in the Trinidad and Tobago society, especially the youth in rural areas, to adopt a healthier outdoor lifestyle through running and other exercise or sporting activities. A critical element of the project is its strong environmental focus aimed at preserving resources, promoting environmental awareness and reducing negative environmental impact through the recycling of sporting footwear. The donation of new footwear is also welcomed and encouraged. These donations are then collected, sorted and cleaned and redistributed to the less fortunate in rural areas. Those not fit for use will be sent to a regional recycling facility.
The project is aimed at national and community empowerment through the use of sport as a social and health transformation initiative and environmental awareness. It is hopeful that some of the successful youths developed by the program can go on to become national sporting ambassadors thereby promoting Trinidad and Tobago as a destination for Sport and Eco Tourism. Shaquille Roberts, 18yearold Olympic Torch Bearer for Trinidad and Tobago at the 2012 Olympics, is one such success story.
Mentorship Program
During our interaction with youths, it became very obvious that providing them with a pair of sneakers is only the beginning of the process in helping them to reach their full potential. As a result, the idea for the Mentorship Program was born and is now one of theprojects that the Tobias Foundation will focus on in the near future.
The mentorship project is aimed at national and community empowerment through the use of sport as a social and health transformation initiative and environmental awareness. The Foundation will seek the support of national sporting and healthy living icons particularly those who themselves have come from rural areas to share their motivational life experiences to mentor the youths thereby further inspiring them to use the shoes they have received to pursue their dreams as well as maintain a healthy lifestyle.
It is hopeful that some of the successful youths developed by the program can follow in Clarance’s footsteps and go on to become national sporting ambassadors thereby promoting Trinidad and Tobago as a destination for Sport and Eco Tourism. Other objectives of the program would be to:
- Facilitate the mentee’s growth by sharing resources and networks
- Challenging the mentee to move beyond his or her comfort zone
- Creating a safe learning environment for taking risks
- Focusing on the mentee’s total development
- Publication of success stories in the media and other forms of communication will be used to promote the program and thus, allow it to grow from strength to strength.
Computer Literacy
Another complimentary initiative which the Tobias Foundation is working on setting up is a computer literacy program within homework centers in rural areas to provide a safe and secure place for youths to go that would contribute to their emotional, mental and psychological development.
We shall seek corporate, governmental and private contributions to provide state of the art computers, tablets, online technology and software to facilitate increased exposure to information technology thereby increasing their confidence and capabilities in becoming computer literate, which can be used in their everyday life and in particular to improve their sporting capability.
Cricket Team
Cricket is a vastly popular sport in Trinidad and Tobago with the youths in most communities learning the game at their local playground or even on the beaches throughout the country. The Tobias Foundation seems great merit in the use of cricket as a team sport to unite and promote shared goals for the youths in rural communities.
As such, the Tobias Foundation has formed a Windball Cricket Team to participate in local cricket tournaments. Additionally, the aim of the Foundation is to work with the secondary schools in rural areas to participate in local tournaments by providing sporting incentives and prizes.