Red Cross Belize Executive Director Speaks About RITA Strategies

Lily Bowman

The RITA Program is being funded through the American Red Cross for the last four years in the Caribbean. The Belize Red Cross, in its program, has been working with eight communities in the north, giving the community members tools, methods and concepts to become reliant. Local Executive Director, Lily Bowman told News Five about the strategies being implemented locally.

Lily Bowman, Executive Director, Belize Red Cross

“All year around we are implementing the RITA Project, but we don’t have time to share a lot of the experiences learnt with the other national societies who are also implementing because we are busy implementing. However at the annual regional exchange meeting we have that opportunity to do just that because we have all the players here. We are all over the world, we are different national societies, but we all have one goal. And we all have one ideal so whenever we implement our programs, they are normally the same type of intervention, except different approaches. There are more innovation in one area as opposed to another or a different outcome as opposed to another, but we share all that together and it helps.”

Duane Moody

“Where is Belize in terms of its resilience, being prepared for a disaster that affects our communities?”

Lily Bowman

“Oh my goodness. I don’t think the whole world is at resilience yet as we have been able to see with the things that are happening across the world. Little Belize is doing its own stride at its own pace. it’s not as far as where we are now, but what are we doing to get there—to me that is more important.  One community at a time, person at a time; we can definitely reach to the point where we are resilient enough to be able to bounce back from any adverse effect that a disaster or any emergency has.”