SMSS Young Leaders launch 2016 project

The St Martin’s Secondary School (SMSS) launched their 2016 RBC Young Leaders project on Friday, February 5, at the school’s library under the theme” Me, You, We… A shared vision for a better society.”

“With this, we have adopted the topic ‘Believe in me as I’ve believed in you; together we built a better SVG’,” said Mikal Quashie, President of the SMSS Young Leaders.{{more}}

According to Quashie, this particular project was created to identify solutions to some of the challenges faced by youth today.

“These challenges include lack of self-esteem and low motivational marvels,” he said.

“We live in a world there is an epidemic of low self esteem that affects almost every aspect of our lives, from how we think about ourselves to the way we think or react to life’s situation. While negative influences and thoughts are prevalent, they generate from within ourselves or through others.”

The Young Leader’s president said it could become hard to dismiss the ‘I can’t do this’ or ‘I will never overcome this’.

Taking this into consideration, the president and his associates agreed to host an awareness walk, a clean up campaign at the Golden Years retirement home, bake sales, football matches and an overnight camp on the school grounds.

Speaking at the ceremony, soca artist, song writer and back up vocalist Kahalia Beache educated students on the importance of self-esteem while sharing her past struggles with it. She then revealed that her strong self esteem stemmed from her parents and her “big pool of positive energy.”

“Each and every single one of you in this room was born a special being with your own unique set of skills abilities and energy and aura,” she said, while encouraging the students.

“… And when you realize and grow into your strengths and grow to become the great person you are destined to be then you will leave this earth with a legacy behind.”

A mother of two, Beache also told students that although their legacy may not be globally recognized if they have touched one person, in a positive way, “then you would have achieved the greatest feat possible to human beings on earth by passing on your positively through your self esteem.”

She encouraged them to stay away from negative people, apply positivity to persons and to “run far away” from negativity.

“The true joy of actualizing high self esteem is being happy in who you are, not trying to be better than someone else; its not about that. Having self esteem is about you, its not about other people.”

Beache told the students they should not be afraid to fail because that is the biggest self esteem killer and reminded them to surround themselves with like-minded people.

Past SMSS student and president of the SVG Association of Music Professionals (SVGAMP), Orande ‘Bomani’ Charles also encouraged the students, stating that he expects them to do their best.

Also speaking at the ceremony, RBC Representative Vonetta Rodgers said that the RBC has set out to provide the young people of St Vincent and the Grenadines with the opportunity to develop leadership skills and to teach them how to work as a team to create sustainable projects that improve life, conserve our natural environment, engage communities across the region and promote social and financial responsibility.