Four Paths police help troubled youngster get back to school

In 2020, 15-year-old Kimarley Powell was placed at Vere Technical High School after sitting the Primary Exit Profile examinations. The financial constraints in his family saw him not being able to move forward with his education.

Recently, he came to the attention of the Four Paths police in Clarendon when a family rift saw Kimarley, his mother and two of his brothers turning up there.

“While I was on duty, there was a family dispute which brought them to the station. I live in the same community and know the family, but didn’t know the history of why he wasn’t going to school,” Constable Richard Roye shared.

He said his colleague, Sgt Michael Berry, was interviewing Powell and based on the situation, Berry said that it seemed like Kimarley was destined for state care.

“He wasn’t going to school, he was drinking and smoking, but he also said he always wished that he was going back to school,” Roye informed. It was that glimmer of light that saw the team at the station deciding to do all they could to give the youngster a second chance.

Powell, who spoke with The Gleaner said that it was always his dream to go back to school.

“One of the time mi give up, because mi see seh nobody care,” he shared, and so at one point he went to live in Old Harbour with a cousin; however, he didn’t have anything to do.

“I am very very happy now that I am going to school…sometimes I wish I had my own money to go every day,” he said.

Constable Roye is also crediting Rosemarie Nichols, aka ‘Denise’, from the community, who he says is so happy that Powell is back in school, she makes it her duty to assist with his lunch money.

“The team from my office assists with other things, and we are so happy to see the progress that he is making,” he shared.

Now a student at May Pen High School, Roye said after the team decided to intervene, they sent Powell to the school he was initially placed, but because he was never registered, he was directed to go to Region 7 Office of the Ministry of Education to sort it out.

He was eventually placed at his current school, with the team paying for his package as well as meeting his other needs, such as school uniforms, shoes and books.

As for Powell, he is super happy and although he missed two years of school, he said it was not hard catching up with the class.

“From the first day I went in, the teacha dem love mi and ask mi a which school mi used to guh. Them seh how mi bright suh. Mi juss laugh, because mi know mi neva guh nuh school,” he said.