Stacy the survivor – Student during the day, market vendor on weekends
She is not yet an adult, but for the past three years she has been selling in the Coronation Market to provide for herself and her family, while still going to school.
To compound the matter, she has anger-management issues and is still dealing with the death of her sister who was raped and murdered in 2013.
While many others would be cursing their luck, 17-year-old Stacy Smith* says journeying to Kingston from Clarendon on weekends to sell ground provisions and vegetables is a move she does not regret.
“I have been doing this from I went into grade nine. That was in 2014, and it is the best thing I’ve ever done. I have my own money to buy whatever I want.
“My eldest sister, who also sells in the market, gave me the inspiration and she started me off, and I continued. She lives in Kingston, so when I go up on a Friday I sell on Saturday then leave money for her to buy back the stuff. I normally give my sister $3,500 and I would pay my taxi fare and buy grocery and take care of everything else out of the rest,” added Stacy.
Financing the family
In addition to buying whatever she wants, Stacy says she takes cares of all the bills at her grandmother’s house, where she lives with her uncle, sister and cousin, and buys groceries for the house and at times for her mother’s house as well.
“I have never asked anyone for help. I have even had to finance my mother sometimes; I buy grocery for her house and grocery for my grandmother’s house,” said Stacy, whose mother does live-in domestic work and returns home every two weeks.
“I will soon move from my grandmother’s house because I have to be doing too much. She wants me to pay light bill, buy grocery, etc. So it’s better I live on my own but I’m waiting to reach 18 years old.”
According to Stacy, her school-work has suffered as a result of her weekly trips to the market, and she once contemplated quitting school and going into selling full time, but decided against it.
Now Stacy is preparing to sit eight CSEC subjects, having completed her SBAs.
But school has not been easy for Stacy, who has struggled with discipline over the years. Her fights at school have led to her being enrolled in the Dispute Resolution Foundation’s Clarendon-based School Intervention Programme (SIP).
Stacy was pushed into the programme – which targets at-risk high-school students and provides them with child-friendly alternative dispute resolution services and training – last year, after she clashed with a male teacher, leaving him injured to the point where he was hospitalised.
Fight with teacher
The incident occurred when Stacy asked to be allowed to go to the bathroom, but was advised to wait.
“So I walked outside, went ahead and used the bathroom, as I had to go. When I came back he said I was not allowed in the class, so I walked past him to get my bag,” Smith recounted.
“He was there standing in the way saying, ‘get out of my class’ and I flashed him off, and he claimed that I boxed him, so we started fighting. I had a pen in my hand and I used it to stab him in the face.”
She was told not to return to the school, with the guidance counsellor suggesting she enrol in the SIP.
Based on the progress she made while in the programme, she was assisted in regaining her place in the school by Youth Peace Facilitator and mediator for the Dispute Resolution Foundation-Clarendon, Sandria Watkis-Madden.
Stacy and the teacher have since put the incident behind them, with him even helping her with printing her SBAs.
She has since had one relapse last month, clashing with a male student. “I was at school and a grade-10 student and I had a misunderstanding and I threw a stone at him which I carried in my bag,” Stacy revealed.
Despite this latest incident, Smith said she has benefited significantly from the SIP, as she has been helped with managing her anger, avoiding and dealing with conflict.
“It has helped me and it wasn’t my intention to get in another conflict,” said Stacy. “I tried to talk it out but he was still threatening me, so I just warned him by throwing the stone.”
Watkis-Madden revealed that the relapse coincided with the date Stacy’s sister, who was killed in 2013, would have celebrated her birthday.
But the SIP has done wonders for Stacy, and the little market vendor is preparing for life after high school.
* Name changed on request.
What an inspirational story ! The responsibility of a child -woman, tragic in a sense that she cannot enjoy her xhchildren ldhood, but she proves to be a girl of power and strength .
Good morning , Happy Sunday !!!
Very good young lady I am proud of you. I notice no mention of a father . That explains her indiscipline . But I’m glad she is selling food and not herself .
So all her family sit Wait for her to mine them better she move far start life away from those leeches
Same thing I am wondering. She nuh must angry when she carrying the burden of a mother and father at such a young age. All providing for two household. Her courage and tenacity is indeed admirable, but for adults to sit and let her go through this is something else. Even pressuring her to pay all the bills, if she helping carry one end why not help carry the other and try ease her burden? I wish her all the best.
Go on mummz, you will make it from you keep to school, save,practice safe sex and keep less than 3 friends.
Blessings to you throughout.
I hope this young girl do not end up in a relationship that will be abusive. Where is the social safety net to prevent this hustler from providing for her family? Many things wrong a yaard…hope we can fix it. FIX IT JESUS FIX IT
You migrants are disgusting! Jamaica always a hot up ya’ll heads. Thousands of teens are bringing home the bacon throughout the world.
Jesus not fixing anything! He’s over 2000 years old and things go from bad to worst and still no fixing.
Is raw ambition you see the girl exhibiting.
I have family members and friends who have been through this and survived. It will make you a strong woman. Just continue to set goals for yourself.
No words just yet…maybe they will come to me later.
This is really inspiring… Great job baby girl,the lord will bless you to do even greater
And these dunce old gyals wan get rich off selling front. Smh if this nu inspire them. Idk what will
I read and was sharing the story with an American friend. My friend couldn’t fully understand the struggle because being in America is a blessing, free schooling, food stamp, housing, welfare etc. Young lady I would like to shake your hand, U r strong and Independent. I can’t imagine doing what u r doing at your age. Young lady it won’t be like this forever the lord is going to continue to bless u, u will get double for your trouble, please remember Job in the bible. U r an example for many young people both men and women, God bless you baby. I am sorry to hear about your sister, MAY THE LORD CONTINUE TO GUIDE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. I AM VERY PROUD OF YOU
Well I’m gonna say this, while it’s good that she is doing what she’s doing, I don’t understand why her mother can’t do exactly what her daughter is doing to bring in some funds to support the family. Why should this young girl have to provide for two homes? Obviously it’s a struggle and instead of helping make ends meet dem wah pressure di girl fi pay more than expected. I can bet seh not one of them help pay for those exams. These are just some of the reasons females find themselves in bad and hostile relationships. I wish her all the best in her exams and I do hope she continues to maintain and subdue her anger issues. She can be whoever she wants to be because she has determination. Big up to the young lady. May God continue to bless and keep her.