A HERO was sometimes depicted as someone whose identity remained a secret, as he ran around in a cape doing good deeds.
However, today a real hero is often an individual admired for their courage, selflessness and noble qualities. Someone who is willing to take risks or make sacrifices to help others, while achieving a noble goal.
Our heroes of today live in our communities, and some of them we may know personally, but there are those who we have probably just heard about.
So in the coming weeks we will highlight several U-Reporters, young people who are a part of Unicef's flagship digital platform raising their voices on issues affecting them, who are heroes in their own right and have been doing exceptional things in their communities toward amplifying the voice of the youth of Trinidad and Tobago through their varied areas of speciality.
This week, Newsday features motivational speaker Joshua Hercules:
JUST as he was saved from a life of crime and drugs that would have probably given him an early trip to the grave, Joshua Hercules is fighting to save those youngsters who might be walking the path of destruction – a route he previously walked.
"I do not sugar coat the realities of life on the streets. I can relate to young people since I am young myself. I realise now more than ever that they require the daring, unapologetic truth about life on the streets," Hercules told Newsday.
The 24-year-old motivational speaker from Corinth in San Fernando is the CEO and founder of the NGO Reach Them Before We Lose Them Foundation.
Hercules has taken on the Herculean task of instilling positive changes for those heading down the wrong path.
He urges people to uplift young people, adding that is easier to bend the tree when it is still young because as the tree ages, it loses its ability to bend.
But this young man was not always this determined. He grew up in Carlton Lane, San Fernando, an area where the police frequently respond to crimes, and at an early age, life was tough.
He grew up with his mother, who has a psychiatric disorder, and siblings. Many times, especially on memorable days like Christmas and Mother's Day, he would be in the hospital to visit her.
Her condition has improved with new medications and she is proud of his achievements. He is proud, too, of her efforts as a single mother and her personal challenges. "She always provided for us. She never left us hungry. When it came to schoolwork, she made sure we did it."
His deceased father was a cocaine addict and the two did not have a relationship.
Hercules recalled adapting quickly to survive at an early age. He knows first-hand about juvenile delinquency and peer pressure.
He was expelled from St Benedict's College in form three after being suspended several times. The last straw was a fight between a student and the student's mother.
"I spent about five months at home, as many schools did not accept me.
[caption id="attachment_1091820" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Motivational speaker Joshua Hercules - Lincoln Ho
