Tiny tots fight against illegal drugs, alcohol

As I was hustling up a sidewalk in Glen one afternoon, a little voice shouting “Miss! Miss!” jolted me from my reverie and brought my attention to two little girls rushing towards me on the other side of a fence across the street.{{more}}

Startled and a bit mystified, I stopped and walked over to the fence to find out what was wrong. I stood there growing more puzzled by the second as one of the little girls (whose name I later learned was Sameisha) fiddled with some papers in her hand, while the other (Aaliyah) grinned nervously at me. Sameisha then slipped her little hand through an opening in the fence and offered me a piece of paper and said the most unexpected thing in the world: “Please do not drink and smoke, Miss.” Astonished, I couldn’t help but smile as I accepted the piece of paper, which carried the same message and expressed my thanks. As the evening progressed, my thoughts repeatedly returned to these two little girls, I wondered what inspired them and I decided to speak with them the next day.

Sameisha John, age 9 and Aaliyah Lewis, age 10 are fourth grade and fifth grade students of the Calliaqua Anglican School. After learning about the dangers of drugs and alcohol from her teacher Ms. Marshall at school, young Sameisha, with the help of her friend Aaliyah, decided to take the initiative to advise people much older than herself to refrain from indulging in such activities.

“All around the world people take drugs, and at school, the teacher was talking about drugs. A lot of celebrities take drugs, and it is not good for you; you can die. When I came home, I wanted to do something to help, so I made notes and gave them to people to help stop them from taking drugs and drinking,” said Samaiesha.

Sameisha and Aaliyah handed these notes out during their lunch break and after school to customers from the neighboring supermarket and bakery, Honey Bun. College students and other pedestrians on the roads outside Sameisha’s house. Sameisha admitted that they were frightened and nervous at first, but they persisted, and though most people were surprised and wanted to know what inspired their actions, they actually receive positive feedback.

“A girl told us that it was sweet and she would keep it and stick it up in her room,” Aaliyah said.

They also advised customers of Honey Bun to stick to non alcoholic beverages.

“One man who was in at the supermarket asked me what he should drink, and I told him he should just drink water and juice,” declared Sameisha.

These two children overcame their shyness and reached beyond their fears to share an important message which I am sure inspired other people as much as it inspired me.

This is what St. Vincent and the Grenadines needs, more people who care enough to take the initiative, without incentive, to seek to uplift and assist their people in any little way they can. The simplicity of their actions spoke volumes in ways which I’m sure they have yet to understand, and they deserve to be commended for it.