“For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted."— Matthew 23:12

In life there are those persons who are humble in spirit, and exude kindness and greatness in all that they do.

Devonshire strong

The people of Devonshire, related by blood, marriage and community, take immense pride in their daily kinship.

Elders are shown respect, children are always looked out for by neighbours and we know each other on a first-name basis. To be honest, we know each other by nicknames more than we even know each other's real names.

One name in particular evokes a range of thoughts and memories.

Whether it be as a top footballer, skilful motocross rider, helpful neighbour, seasoned cycle mechanic or just the guy who would spend his day volunteering to cut the grass at his alma mater, Elliot Primary School.

There are a host of other descriptives that are synonymous with his name, such as friend to all or neighbourhood border patrol.

Without a doubt, the most important badge he wore was as a loving and supportive father to his children.

On his birth certificate, he was known as Kirby Grant.

We, the people of Devonshire, simply knew and loved him as “Gappa”.

Parish pride

Following in the community footsteps of Gappa, several young men from Devonshire have been doing their part to help beautify our parish over the duration of summer.

Twin brothers Amon and Azra Robinson, along with Razi Garland, have taken up the challenge to learn several new skill sets such as landscaping, basic construction and painting.

Starting at 7am to beat both the sun and heavy traffic, they have been undertaking tasks such as removing cane grass, trimming lawns, maintaining sidewalks and painting the inside of bus stops.

More important than maintaining their parish, they have built bonds with both themselves and the community at large.

Each day that they are out doing their tasks, motorists drive across tooting horns, waving hands or simply shouting out “good morning”.

On many occasions, there have been residents who have taken the time to come and have a word with the young men.

More often than not, the conversation then turns into a mini family reunion, as the more mature folks take the time to show the younger folks their longstanding family and community connections.

These priceless interactions with elders have served to help the young men know more about both their family ties and the history of our community.

Additionally, several local companies have pitched in to donate food, refreshments, safety equipment, paint and tools for the young men.

It has been truly a joy to see them learning a few different skill sets and get up before 7am in order to do their part to keep Devonshire looking spiffy.

The next time you are passing through Devonshire and you see them working along the roadside, please greet them kindly.

It means a lot to them.

• Christopher Famous is the government MP for Devonshire East (Constituency 11). You can reach him on WhatsApp at 599-0901 or e-mail at carib_pro@yahoo.com