Crane youth talks about the importance of self-confidence
SHAQUEL Dickie’s smile radiates bright energy and utter positivity. Any given day could find the ambitious twenty-three-year-old working at a local mechanic shop in Crane Village. Shaquel is as impressive as he is hardworking. Coming from a place where not many believed in him, Shaquel has fought to overcome the negativity surrounding him and come out on top. Today, he says he knows more than he ever thought he would. His message to other young men like himself is simple: keep it positive.
Most of Crane’s community members believe their village to be a hidden gem, a cultural melting pot just under the radar. The community of Crane balances the peacefulness of the countryside with the buzz of a fast-paced life. Crane is home to rolling rice fields, businesses, and countless entrepreneurial ventures. This unique makeup created a unique experience for Shaquel. He could not find much to say about his upbringing in the community but stated that his early years in school had an immense impact on the man he is today. “I cannot really say much about growing up in Crane. It was good. It was a nice experience. I attended nursery school here. I then went to Crane Primary. The teachers there were really good.”
As a young man in Crane, Shaquel says being a youth in the community is quite good. Living with his two sisters, he shares that the young people are their own biggest issue. In Shaquel’s opinion, Crane’s young people need to find a path for themselves, although not burdened. As he stated, “As children in Crane, including myself, you have nothing to study. Crane is just a small village. Many people do not know about it. You have nothing to worry about as a child growing up. You can enjoy life and play as much as you want.” As much as the joys of Crane marked his childhood, Shaquel’s shift from child to man was a drastic one.
At just 23 years old, Shaquel has made a trade and a name for himself. Working as a mechanic, he has worked hard to improve himself and his skills, taking course after course to elevate his expertise. The first step on his journey of self-development came from rather harsh criticism, which came from the most unlikely place. “It really is a funny story about how I got into the trade. Thanks to my father, he is one of the persons that caused me to be in this trade, getting my certificate and so on. Because in my younger years, my father once called me a ‘junkie’, and I could not have imagined that. Since he told me that, I went and got my certificate and I went and graduated. He is one of the persons I have to thank for giving me the courage to go and do something.”
The words of his father stayed with Shaquel for a long time. Growing up, he went through difficult periods, and it seemed as though these times of difficulty were used to characterise not just him but his entire future. He was dead set on proving his father wrong and was determined to prove to himself that he could be more than the negative word thrown his way. Today, Shaquel is a highly qualified mechanic. He has gained multiple certifications in different engineering disciplines, and he understands an engine better than most people. What he has learned has opened countless opportunities for him and has shown him the true potential of his skills, revealing things he did not think possible between a man and a machine.
Admittedly, Shaquel and his father have shared a rocky relationship. As challenging as it was, Shaquel believes that maybe he needed to find his own way. As he shared, “My father stopped me from going to school when I was in Form Four. When I stopped school, I used to do tradeswork with my father; he was a captain. While working, we had an argument, and during the argument was when he told me I was going to be a junkie. But I was not in Guyana; when I came back, there was registration for a heavy machinery operating course at Leonora Technical Institute.” Signing up was the single best thing he had ever done. A few weeks later, he began classes and has not stopped since.
“Since I have gotten the skills and knowledge, I have met a lot of people, and I have learned a lot of things. I got to see a lot of things too, things I did not know you could do with a machine or a man could do with a machine,” he told the Pepperpot Magazine. Shaquel has managed to overcome stereotypes and negative perceptions of himself. He implores young men not to let the ideas of others shape who they are. As he stated, “Do not wait for someone to tell you that you cannot be anything. You could sit and tell yourself it’s better to go and do something, to get a trade or find a job.” He further asked the young men and women to keep their light and positivity alive. “It’s your life; nobody could do it for you. You have to do it for yourself. Take the negative out of your head, you are going to learn a lot if you keep positive. You are going to see things and say things you never knew you could. Keep the positivity in you.”
