‘Speaking from lived experience’

Western Bureau:

Twelve-year-old Khadijah Wright, an outgoing student of Revival Primary and Infant School in Westmoreland, has emerged as the winner of the Lay Magistrates’ Association of Jamaica (LMAJ) annual essay competition with her entry on how Hurricane Melissa impacted primary school children in Jamaica.

According to Heather Dennisur, secretary of the LMAJ Westmoreland Chapter, the competition, which attracted 210 entries from primary and preparatory schools across the island, was “marked blindly” in Kingston.

Speaking during a courtesy call on Savanna-la-Mar Mayor Danree Delancy and the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation (WMC), Dennisur, who was accompanied by Khadijah and her parents, along with Westmoreland Custos Hartley Perrin, said the achievement was particularly significant as it was the first time a student from Westmoreland had won the competition.

Wright, who admitted that she did not expect to win, said she was overwhelmed when she realised her name had not been called among the second- and third-place winners.

“I feel really happy that I won the essay competition because, honestly, I thought I wouldn’t really win,” she said. “I really wasn’t thinking I would win. I was, like, maybe I would be somewhere above average level, so I didn’t really think I was going to win.”

Her winning essay, based on the topic ‘How has Hurricane Melissa Affected Primary School Children in Jamaica?’, drew on the experiences of children living through the hurricane and its aftermath.

Wright, who will be moving on to Frome Technical High School in September, said she also relied on guidance from her teachers, including her grade-six teacher, Nickesha Johnson, and research she conducted while developing the essay.

In her winning essay, Khadijah outlined how the hurricane disrupted children’s education and daily lives, highlighting damage to schools, temporary closures, displacement and the challenges students faced in returning to normal schooling. She also pointed to the difficulties children experienced while staying in emergency shelters, including overcrowding, limited space and resources, which made it harder to rest and focus on schoolwork.

“When I was writing that essay, I listened to things my teacher and my principal told me. I used intelligent words and I searched up citations and I used them, and I wrote my essay,” she said.

In the meantime, her principal, Franchae Wedderburn, said the school was elated by the accomplishment, noting that Revival had placed second in the competition last year.

“It just goes to show that when we focus on academics and the total child, they can shine and do extremely well,” Wedderburn said.

Khadijah’s parents, Nadine and Garth Wright, said they had watched her work tirelessly on the essay and were confident that her efforts would pay off.

Delancy, who was delighted to host Khadijah, said her victory was especially fitting, given the subject of the competition.

“I am indeed happy to see that a student from Westmoreland actually won this,” he said. “The right topic for the right time. Very much relevant.”

Delancy said Khadijah’s account appeared to come from personal experience rather than simply information gathered from the media.

“She was here when the hurricane came, and she has been living in the aftermath of the hurricane. So, when she speaks about what the effects are on primary school students, she is speaking from lived experience,” he said.

mickalia.kington@gleanerjm.com