Dear Editor,
My name is Nicole Nation. I turned 23 years old less than a month ago. Shanique Walters was only 22 years old. I am in the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of the West Indies and she was a part of the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the University of Technology, Jamaica. But, really, what is the difference between this young lady and myself?
This young lady was brutally shot and killed while coming from school. Not coming from a street dance at 3:00 am. Like so many students here in Jamaica, I have been travelling to and from school for the past 20 years. Recently, a 13-year-old high school boy was found with a gun in his bag. And so you mean to tell me that my chances of being shot in this country increases with school attendance?
Though we do not have the Taliban here, we are plagued in this country by men of a similar nature; they just go by a different name.
I consider Shanique Walters our Jamaican Malala -- though sadly this Jamaican Malala didn't survive being shot.
I pen this letter to you with a heavy heart. I am deeply saddened by this young lady's death. I don't want to be afraid in my own country. As a young person, this is not the kind of country I want to live in. How can we be celebrating National Youth Month and a student's life is snuffed out just like that?
I know many people would argue, 'Why did she run?" Maybe she panicked or maybe she valued the contents of her school bag and thought she could escape. We will never know. As students the contents of our bags are important to us. Be it diligently collected notes, or our laptops with our presentation for the next day; for a student, our school bag is our life.
To her family, my prayers are with you. I can only imagine what it is that you are going through. Please have faith that your daughter's life will not be lost in vain.
And for the criminals who are out there, please remember that #JamaicanYouthsLifeMatter!
Rest In Peace, #JamaicanMalala.
Nicole Nation
allwamannation@gmail.com
#JamaicanYouthsLifeMatter!
-->
My name is Nicole Nation. I turned 23 years old less than a month ago. Shanique Walters was only 22 years old. I am in the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of the West Indies and she was a part of the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the University of Technology, Jamaica. But, really, what is the difference between this young lady and myself?
This young lady was brutally shot and killed while coming from school. Not coming from a street dance at 3:00 am. Like so many students here in Jamaica, I have been travelling to and from school for the past 20 years. Recently, a 13-year-old high school boy was found with a gun in his bag. And so you mean to tell me that my chances of being shot in this country increases with school attendance?
Though we do not have the Taliban here, we are plagued in this country by men of a similar nature; they just go by a different name.
I consider Shanique Walters our Jamaican Malala -- though sadly this Jamaican Malala didn't survive being shot.
I pen this letter to you with a heavy heart. I am deeply saddened by this young lady's death. I don't want to be afraid in my own country. As a young person, this is not the kind of country I want to live in. How can we be celebrating National Youth Month and a student's life is snuffed out just like that?
I know many people would argue, 'Why did she run?" Maybe she panicked or maybe she valued the contents of her school bag and thought she could escape. We will never know. As students the contents of our bags are important to us. Be it diligently collected notes, or our laptops with our presentation for the next day; for a student, our school bag is our life.
To her family, my prayers are with you. I can only imagine what it is that you are going through. Please have faith that your daughter's life will not be lost in vain.
And for the criminals who are out there, please remember that #JamaicanYouthsLifeMatter!
Rest In Peace, #JamaicanMalala.
Nicole Nation
allwamannation@gmail.com
#JamaicanYouthsLifeMatter!
-->