Teen Archery Champ Plants Trees to Feed Tobago's Future

When Anthurium Lewis walked into an overgrown school garden in rural Tobago, she saw more than just weeds and abandoned beds. She saw an opportunity to show that kids can lead change right now.

The six-time Trinidad and Tobago archery champion has spent her teenage years breaking barriers twice over. At just 17, she coaches archers three times her age and runs a foundation planting native fruit trees across her Caribbean island home.

Growing up, Lewis faced a cultural norm many young Caribbeans know well: speak only when spoken to, and leave big discussions to the adults. But archery changed everything for her.

"Archery gives you that discipline to keep pushing forward," she told UN News. She believes the sport is 80 percent mental, building self-esteem and focus that transfers into every part of life.

Now Lewis channels that confidence into environmental advocacy as a Young Leader for the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Her mission tackles food security head-on by planting sapodilla, soursop, custard apple, breadfruit and starfruit trees with communities across Tobago.

The transformation happens quietly but powerfully. Two months after her first visit to that overgrown school garden, Lewis returned to find children tending their plants during the school day, the space completely transformed by young hands.

"You won't just find me planting," she said. "You'll actually find other young people, very young children as well, going out there and planting their own fruit trees that they will look after."

The Ripple Effect

Lewis visits schools, communities and faith-based organizations teaching young people to grow their own food. The work gives children a break from classroom noise, a chance to connect with peers, and something tangible they built themselves.

That sense of ownership builds the same discipline and confidence that archery gave her. The fruit trees will feed families for generations, but the real harvest is the young people discovering their own power to create change.

Her message to other young people with big ideas but nowhere to turn is simple and direct. "We have a say. We have the intellect. We have the passion behind it as well. You don't have to wait until you're 25 to want to fight for a cause."

From competition trophies to community gardens, Lewis proves that the skills we build in one arena can transform another entirely.