The power of one

DEBBIE JACOB

TWELVE years ago, I faced my fear of public speaking to appear as a panellist on a television news programme about crime. I had been invited because of my work in the Youth Training Centre (YTC) and my book Wishing for Wings about the first CXC English class I had taught with teenage boys incarcerated for armed robbery and murder.

That book would change my life, propelling me from the solitude of a Saturday evening class in an institution to a spokesperson for restorative justice and education in prisons. I had always felt more comfortable in isolated places so teaching in prison suited me. The thought of being in public spaces let alone speaking in front of a crowd gave me debilitating migraines so I regularly turned down offers to speak anywhere.

But these boys, who had caused so much pain, saw Wishing for Wings as their opportunity to give back to society. They wanted their stories told; I wanted this country to know the journey these lost boys of Trinidad and Tobago had taken and understand how violent teenagers had overcome anger and violence. This was an opportunity to understand juvenile delinquency.

Support for the book transcended my wildest imagination. Book clubs, individuals and companies donated money for my prison programmes, which I expanded to Port of Spain Prison, eventually co-creating debate teams in all ten prisons through prisons programmes. So much generous support came in, I started an NGO, The Wishing for Wings Foundation, to separate my work from me, both financially and emotionally.

Knowing my reluctance to speak and introverted nature, my daughter, Ijanaya, talked me into going on the news programme.

“You can do this,” she said. “I will go with you.”

In the studio, Ijanaya stood behind the cameras directly facing me so that I could focus on her and feel like I was talking to her.

Four people appeared on the panel. Three of us worked with at-risk youth. I only knew Gregory Sloan-Seale. Everything was going reasonably well, nerves and all, until I told one of my students’ success stories and mentioned he had seven CXC passes. The other woman on the panel, who constantly countered all of our anecdotes with statistics said, “Yeh, but that is only one student you’re talking about.”

My mood sank, and I questioned my work. I thought, “Crime is a big problem, and you’re making a case out of one student?”

I felt like a failure because of this woman’s statistics. When I looked up, Ijanaya got my attention with two thumbs pointing up. I glanced to my left and saw Gregory and the other male panellist trying to reassure me by nodding their heads. Then I remembered former prison commissioner Sterling Stewart.

One day, in his office, he had said to me, “You don’t understand the impact of the work you do. When you reach one of these lads, you’re not just saving a life, you’re saving future generations.”

I got through the rest of the show. I returned to prison work and built back my confidence because I knew, deep down, one life does matter. People are not just statistics, and progress in this war against crime sometimes means saving one life at a time.

I have had the good fortune of seeing many young men who could only express rage turn into articulate, productive young men with exemplary empathy, loyalty and pride. These are the people who call to check on me and tell me how the faith I had in them motivated them to change.

One of those young men was the late Akili Charles, who won his case, came out of prison and stood up for everyone in this country by fighting for a law to give murder accused the right to bail.

I haven’t counted the success stories, but I do remember the names of those who succeed. I stopped counting the ones I lost through violence they couldn’t escape.

In this Christmas season, I hope everyone will consider the power of one. You don’t have to save the country or the world. That is a daunting task. Just start small and build something manageable and sustainable. Choose a project you believe in or support one struggling person.

Think carefully and consider what you can do to face your fears and shortcomings for the sake of helping this country. Together, we can save this country one person at a time. I wish I could find the words to describe how that feels.