Act of honesty earns student Peace Ambassador title

A second-form Deighton Griffith Secondary School student whose act of kindness – the return of a British visitor’s wallet – went viral, is Barbados’ newest Peace Ambassador.

Najari Chase was given the Ministry of Education’s Peace Ambassador title – the highest award given to any student between the ages of 10 and 18 years old – during a ceremony at the Ministry’s headquarters, on Friday evening, for his act of random kindness.

Chief Education Officer Dr Ramona Archer-Bradshaw praised the young man, who received a staycation for a family of four from the Hilton Barbados Resort, for his embodiment of the Barbadian spirit.

“It is indeed an honour to present gifts to Mr Najari Chase for his act of kindness. When I viewed the post on social media, I was moved to learn that a young man who could have chosen to keep the contents of the wallet that was dropped took an action that has not only brought honour to his family, to his school, his community but also to his country,” she said.

“In light of the negativity that we had seen in light of the Tik Tok posts by some of our students recently, this positive act is a welcomed change. This is what I meant when I said that we should use social media to showcase positive things. Today, Najari is celebrated by the Ministry of Education Technical and Vocational Training for showcasing to the world what it means to be honest and kind.”

Chase was called on, during the ceremony, to recite a pledge as a Peace Ambassador, promising to be a positive role model, inciting change for

good and respecting the property of others.

His father Jermaine Chase said he was extremely proud of his son.

“For the past two weeks, there have been a lot of positive messages, especially on Facebook and Instagram and [from] friends all in the UK. . . . I am a proud parent here today,” he said, adding that he was not too surprised by his son’s kind act as that was what he expected of him.

The designation of Peace Ambassador is given to a student who has demonstrated a positive action of national significance.

In 2018, Princess Margaret Secondary School student Ayra Newton became the first Peace Ambassador after she chose to walk away from another student who was trying to physically assault her at a bus stop.

The fourth-former received a scholarship from the Barbados Institute of Management and Productivity to pursue a course in any area of management.
(MR)