Entrepreneurial Training for 40 Women of Freetown Constituency

Merilyn Young

Forty women, particularly single mothers who live in the Freetown Constituency, will have a chance to receive valuable training that could ensure some level of independence. The opportunity comes through the opening of the Freetown Women’s Group Business Camp, with funding provided by Taiwan under the Belize-Taiwan Women Empowerment Project. The Taiwan Technical Mission in Belize will also facilitate the training course, assisted by the Freetown United Women’s Group. Freetown Chairman, Albert Vaughan, along with Taiwanese Ambassador to Belize, Lily Li-Wen Hsu, and Merilyn Young from the P.U.P Freetown office, spoke about the training that will lead to the women either running a business or becoming gainfully employed.

Merilyn Young, P.U.P. Freetown Office Rep.

“After reviewing the project description, we felt it necessary to focus on empowering our women from a holistic approach, looking at the self, culture, behavior and or course, to identify their job skills, thereby mapping out a road to economic empowerment by securing and keeping a job and, or being innovative thinkers in their community to start a business or at least knowing what is seriously needed to being their own boss in the very near future. The training is tailored to this specific group of women so nobody can do this training in no other division because this is tailored for Freetown women only. It will be delivered in regular, common language, including Creole as necessary and using a group approach with hands-on activities, role-playing, and high participant interactions. The training topics include personality-development, ethnicity and culture, family and parenting, gender and sexuality, the self, where we will share lie experiences, look at expectations, and the here and now.”

Albert Vaughan

Albert Vaughan, Chairman, Freetown

“This program is indeed very important for our women, in particular, after I heard the overview by Miss Young, I think it is important. I recognized a couple faces when I came in this morning because I buy turkey dinner from a couple people and different programs, so I know that these are women who want to make life better, who will face the challenge. And I’m sure, Miss Young that this program ya will do exactly that. We are very proud of our Freetown women.”

Lily Li-Wen Hsu

Lily Li-Wen Hsu, Taiwanese Ambassador to Belize

“The program was initiated with the aim to help women enhance their vocational skills by providing training, consultation and the resources, thus bringing women a step closer to achieving economic independence. We believe empowering women and advancing women’s rights at more macro level will help boost post-pandemic recover and in the long term, benefit economic and social development in Belize.”