Jahleel Lamb is Doing the Right Thing
Another high-schooler was recognized with the ‘Du Di Rait Ting’ award today in Belize City. Eighteen-year-old Jaheel Lamb was a student who misbehaved growing up. But when he decided to do the right things, he made a complete change and it improved his relationship with his teachers and his family. The school selected Lamb as the recipient of the award for November of last year in Precinct One. Lamb was assessed on several criteria including academic success, good conduct, community service and participation in special events and activities. Andrea Polanco was at today’s award ceremony and has more in the following report:
Jaheel Lamb, Award Recipient, Du Di Rait Ting
“I help assist my classmates; help deh with work. I talk to them sometimes. I just give deh advice.”
Jaheel Lamb
Andrea Polanco
“Is it easy doing the right thing or is tough doing the right thing at school?”
Jaheel Lamb
“Sometimes its kinda tough but when you get used to it, it nuh suh challenging as first.”
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
This is fourth former Jaheel Lamb of Excelsior High School. Today he received the “Du Di Rait Ting” award for month of November 2017. He received the award and a small cash prize for good conduct, good grades, participation in activities, and doing other “good deeds” around campus. But Jaheel wasn’t always a model student – it wasn’t until he enrolled in the “Du Di Rait Ting” program that he decided to turn his life around both at school and at home.
Dawn Watters
Dawn Watters, Principal, Excelsior High School
“Jaheel used to be very disrespectful when he was being spoken to by adults or when he is being corrected, but he has really changed those behaviors.”
Iris Ventura, Aunt of Award Recipient
“He does be ignorant but after that I see he start to change and listen to weh me say and behave well good now. He does ignorant bad and now he dah wah darling to me now. Everything fi he – he follow me everywhere I go now. I thank God fi everything he do right now. I thank God because I pray fi my nephew every day.”
Andrea Polanco
“You feel like this program has had an impact on him in terms of it keeps him at home…”
Iris Ventura
Iris Ventura
“Yes. It keeps him home because most ah the time dah eena the room he deh and he nuh deh pahn the street much again.”
Jaheel says that the program has changed his life because there is no telling where he’d be if he didn’t start “doing the right things.”
Jaheel Lamb
“I come from the Jane Usher area and deh have shootings, murders, all kinda thing weh you could think about happen back deh.”
Andrea Polanco
“And you think if you didn’t clean up your act, start doing the right thing, maybe you’d also fall to the influence of these things?”
Jaheel Lamb
“Yes, ma’am because I never choose to do the right thing, I neva wah have no choice fi involve in negative activity.”
Andrea Polanco
“You started doing well in school, talk to us about that?”
Jaheel Lamb
“Yes because the more time I focus on the right thing, that just give me time fi improve my grades because I nuh have nothing di distract me or get inna problem mek I cyaa finish it.”
Excelsior High School adopted the “Du Di Rait Ting” Program because there were behavioral problems on the school grounds. Principal Dawn Watters says they have seen marked improvement.
Dawn Watters
“We’ve seen where students have really strive to be respectful to the adults on the compound because that was an issue that we were expecting with a few of our students. And Jaheel has really motivated the other students to change that part of their behavior because that was a major part of his transition.”
Andrea Polanco
“Have you seen it impact their academics?”
Dawn Watters
“Once students are more disciplined, their academics will improve because they will spend more time in the classroom and will become more focused. So, that has really changed the academics for some of our students.”
Wilfredo Petillo
…and when students like Jaheel Lamb “Du Di Rait Ting” at Excelsior High School, he sets a good example for other students. And when more young people are doing good deeds, it helps the police with their work.
Corporal Wilfredo Petillo, Officer in Charge Community Policing, Precinct 1
“It makes our life easier because Mr. Lamb now will impact other students to come on the right path for doing the right thing. And this is the type of support that we need to start with, community oriented policing works like these.”
Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
