TO THE EDITOR

 

Good Morning, I have a story I would like to have published in your newspaper, perhaps under the opinion column.

 

My name is Myrtrice Sedam, formerly Myrtrice Ephraim. I live on St Kitts.  I have two sons one is 22 the other is 17.  The first is Desroy.  I became aware that he was not attending school when I received complaints from his teachers and investigated and discovered that he would go to school but return home during the morning and stay in the house.  I did everything I could think of to keep him in school but he just would not. 

 

Later I found out that certain elements would call him from my house and send him to buy "weed" and other related items for them, "because police know your mother" and if they found it on him they would not do him anything. 

 

Everybody who knows me knows I trust very few people with my children.  However when I heard that I knew I had to take action, I could not leave him available for that kind of thing to continue.  I placed him to live on a St Kitts Nevis Defence Force facility for one month, with a request that they cut his hair and keep him busy so he does not get bored and leave, he was to follow fully the daily routine, including tasks.  At the end of that month he asked to stay on. 

 

I had to leave the island for a course and left him there.  While on the course he informed me during an instant message conversation that the force was recruiting and he had applied.  I question whether he was sure that was what he wanted to do and he was.  He passed out in 2004 as the Best Recruit. 

 

A reporter (Terry) from the Sun Newspaper heard the story from my daughter Anastasha Elliott, a reporter from another newspaper here on St Kitts and requested an interview.  During the interview she kept trying to get me to say certain things, and at last I told her she could not put words in my mouth.  Either accept my story or forget it. I noticed that story was never printed.

 

My second son Devaughn started displaying certain behaviour which was undesirable.  It began while I was overseas on the same course I mentioned earlier.  My daughter Anastasha called me and told me about it and I instructed her to take him to Lt Col Wallace.  The Commander spoke to him in her presence.

 

He behaved for a while but reverted to negative behaviour after a while.  At that point I decided to put him in the hands of the Defence Force.  Due to unavailability of space he could only go daily so he went everyday from 7:30 am until they brought him home at night and then he went to Summer Camp with the Volunteer Reserves in 2006. After the camp he also asked to sign up with the Force.  He was under 18, but he wanted to, and we felt that him continuing in the training will develop him further and as a result I consented in writing with the agreement of his father.  He passed out 07 June 2007. 

 

He attends the Washington Archibald High School and recently one of his teachers commented to me that he has improved tremendously since becoming engaged with the Defence Force.

 

This story may not be sensational because it has no allegation of violence against children, but my sons have become better people and were diverted from another type of life through a timely decision to put them with that organization, not for one night but for an extended period of time.  To allow them time to see that being law abiding is less stressful. 

 

My motive for writing this now, I believe that if your paper is truly objective they should have been willing to speak to parents of all types whose children were handed over to the Defence Force for disciplinary reasons and seen the result in changed behaviour. Since I know for sure that as far back as 2004 at least one reporter from your paper knew about this family and how living between soldiers changed my son for the better, I figured this is a good place to start.

 

My regards to you.

 

Myrtrice Sedam (Mrs)