‘Sluggy’ donates to Wesley Hall; hoping to change lives

A simple act of kindness can change a life, said Kevin Sluggy Dan Watson, head of the Bim Got Talent programme, offering himself as living proof at a presentation of holiday hampers at Wesley Hall Primary School on Thursday. 

The initiative, aimed at supporting at-risk youth, received a boost from the school’s contribution to its Christmas Hamper Food Drive.

Watson thanked the staff and students of The City school for their generous support of the food drive and encouraged the student body to continue to show kindness and compassion to their fellow citizens.

“The simple act of sharing can change someone’s life. The simple act of giving, the simple act of kindness can change someone’s life,” he said. “I was outside running about, getting into trouble, and a young lady at the time shared with me, and that is what caused me to change my life.”

He added: “The Christmas Hamper drive is something that we do all the time, all year round—not just for Christmas. So I am just thankful that Wesley Hall Primary School reached out to us to make a donation. I am extremely thankful for it.”

Watson also highlighted the achievements of Bim Got Talent, which provides a platform for youth from at-risk communities to showcase their abilities. Earlier this year, participants performed for the Canadian High Commission, which proved to be a significant achievement for the project.

He said: “The youngsters had an opportunity to perform earlier this year with the [High Commission] of Canada, and we put on a showcase for our Barbadian youth from at-risk communities and did extremely well. We had a good crowd; they absolutely loved it. For me, watching [the initiative] grow organically made me start to push and focus more on progress and development. Some persons overseas saw it, asked if we could come and do the same showcase [elsewhere], and that is what [we are working on].”

Watson also called for greater recognition of the positive contributions being made by youth in the community.

“As you know, when they are shooting, when they’re robbing, when they’re killing, we don’t mind showing it. So now that they are doing such good work, I want to be the person drumming up that attention and showcasing [what they are doing],” he said. 

(SB)