A Taiwanese NGO, the Cao Zhong Zhi Foundation, donated US$25,500 in medical equipment to the Ministry of Health and Wellness. The donation was made today during a ceremony hosted by Health and Wellness Minister, Kevin Bernard and Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Lily Li-Wen Hsu in Belmopan.
The donation includes 240 adult wheelchairs, 50 children’s wheelchairs, 80 steel commodes, 160 aluminium walkers, and 400 aluminium walking sticks.
A release from the ministry says, “Today’s donation underlines Taiwan’s commitment to aiding communities worldwide, particularly in times of need, and emphasises the importance of solidarity and cooperation in addressing global public health challenges.”
Minister Bernard stated, ““It is imperative for all global players, including Taiwan, to have the opportunity to contribute effectively to international health initiatives.”
CEO of the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, and Investment, Dr Osmond Martinez, officially launched his candidature for the upcoming general elections. Dr Martinez announced this on his Facebook page. He wants to represent the constituents of Toledo East. Voters there will participate in a by-election following the passing of Mike Espat, who represented the constituency for six terms.
The late Mike Espat
In his statement, Dr Osmond offers “deepest condolences to the Espat family and friends as we continue to mourn the loss of the late Minister Mike Espat. Understanding the grieving process, I realize there is never a perfect time. However, in honoring his legacy, we must carry on the work. Minister Mike Espat’s contributions to our nation and specifically to the constituents of Toledo East have left an indelible mark on our hearts and our community.”
Dr Martinez says that he has “diligently worked to secure funding and support for initiatives aimed at fostering growth and prosperity across our nation. Under my leadership, project implementation within the Ministry has soared, increasing by 40% since 2019, with substantial investments now totaling BZ$208 million annually. These achievements underscore our dedication to prudent resource management and effective governance for the betterment of our citizens.”
“My candidacy is founded upon a proven track record of leadership, integrity, and results. As your Area Representative, I pledge to serve with unwavering dedication, advocating tirelessly for the interests of Toledo East and its residents. Together, let us embark on a journey of progress, prosperity, and unity, ensuring a brighter future for generations to come.”
Twelve Belizean chefs recently completed the Diploma in Culinary Arts Program. According to the Belize Tourism Board (BTB), this achievement was made possible through the collaborative efforts of the BTB, the Ministry of Education, and the esteemed partnership with Florida International University / Accelerating Leaders.
BTB says, “After months of dedication and hard work, our culinarians have mastered various culinary skills including cold food preparation, meats and seafood, soups, stews, and sauces, food and kitchen safety, cultures and cuisines, introductory food science, and menu design.”
Majid Khan, a former courier for Al Qaeda, is unable to open a bank account in Belize, because of his past.
Khan began resettling in Belize in February 2023 after being released from Guantanamo Bay where he was detained for 15 years.
He pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges in 2012.
After the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Mr. Khan joined Al Qaeda, agreed to become a suicide bomber and delivered $50,000 that would be used in a deadly hotel bombing in Indonesia.
According to the NYT, Majid has been unable to open a bank account, because of his past. No bank would do business with him. “Life is a test,” he said, describing himself as a glass-half-full guy.
At Belize’s insistence, the United States paid for his home, car and phone and provided a stipend.
“He has yet to sync with Belizean laissez-faire,” said the leader of his mosque, Kaleem El-Amin.
“I need to get patched up,” he said. “Mentally, physically.”
Central American economies have flourished in the pandemic’s aftermath due to the region’s lower-than-average inflation, allowing central banks to impose more-accommodative policies than larger economies worldwide.
However, the region received a further boost in 2023 owing to record-breaking remittances and an improving labor market, buoyed mainly by the near-shoring boom, thriving tourism and continued profitability across the commodity spectrum. As a result, Central America’s combined GDP is estimated to have grown 3.5% year-over-year (YoY) in 2023, significantly above the global average of 3.1%, according to the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (Eclac).
In the banking sector, continued efforts toward further digitalization—one area in which the region still lags—and commercial loan portfolio growth were the main drivers of profitability among the more prominent players.
In Belize, the winner, Belize Bank, grew its investment and loan portfolio to maintain its position as the country’s largest bank in assets and profitability. It held a commanding 1.9 billion Belizean dollars (approximately $939 million) in assets as of July 2023, according to the Central Bank of Belize.
The National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) has expressed deep concern over the decision by the Social Security Board (SSB) to appoint three external directors to the board of the Public Administration Campus Limited Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) without consultation.
The NTUCB says that the proposed five-member board, consisting solely of private sector members selected by the Government of Belize (GOB), lacks a balanced representation of private, public, and worker interests.
“Instead of adhering to recommendations and advice for a maintained tripartite structure as prescribed by the law or a similar equitable representation of investors’ interests, the SSB has once again disappointed the workers and people of this country,” said the NTUCB in a statement.
The NTUCB questions the SSB’s deviation from legal guidelines and its duty to ensure responsible financial management. The organisation demands that the government rectify this imbalance to ensuretrue representation and transparency in the management of public funds.
Today, twenty-three eager Peace Corps trainees arrived in Belize, ready to embark on their 27 months of dedicated service to the people of this nation. They join forces with the pioneering cohort of the Youth Empowered by Sports (YES) Project, which landed eight months ago.
The Peace Corps Belize, in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Transport, partners closely with counterparts in the National Sports Council across the country. The YES Project aims to empower Belizean youth to lead healthy lives and fulfill their potential.
Over the next eleven weeks of intensive pre-service training, these trainees will delve into the Peace Corps’ development approach, YES project objectives, technical skills, health and safety protocols, as well as language and cultural immersion in Kriol or Spanish and Belizean customs. Their goal: to become effective and capable volunteers.
The group is slated to officially take their oath as Peace Corps Volunteers on Friday, July 19, 2024.
This new cohort complements the ongoing service of two groups of 27-month volunteers and the Response Volunteers already embedded in communities throughout Belize. This marks the fourth group of Peace Corps Volunteers since the onset of the pandemic.
Since Alex Tyler first visited Gales Point, Belize, in 2014 on a church mission trip, his impact on the small fishing village has expanded to the tune of $47,000 raised, nine trips organized and dozens of volunteers involved from around the United States.
Tyler, a franchise owner of Goldfish Swim School locations in Glen Ellyn and St. Charles, visited Belize again this January with a team of 15 others. The group built a house for a family of four, taught swimming lessons and stepped in to lead a third grade class when the teacher was out sick.
The Goldfish Swim School “CandyGram” campaign raised $10,000 for tuition, school supplies and transportation for high school students in Belize. Courtesy of Alex Tyler
“I think there’s a lot of value in continuing to go back,” Tyler said. “To see what you’ve done, and to build on what you’ve done.”
Tyler also led a “CandyGram” campaign for the fourth time this year, which involved more than 50 Goldfish locations and raised more than $10,000. For $1, students and instructors could send a note and a piece of candy to another student or instructor of their choosing.
Funds raised will pay for tuition, school supplies and transportation for children in Gales Point to attend high school. Tyler said the costs associated with secondary education often are a barrier for families.
According to Tyler, around 40 Belizean children have benefited from the campaign over the past four years, with several expected to graduate this year and go on to jobs in various trades.
“I really want these kids to find hope in whatever their dreams are and whatever they want to become someday,” Tyler said.
Tyler and the rest of the team also support a different kind of education: learning to swim. Gales Point is a village surrounded by water, where fishing is a mainsource of food and where hurricanes often displace large parts of the community. But when Tyler first visited, he found that most of the community could not swim.
“They just didn’t have the chance and the opportunity to enjoy all of the experiences their environment has to offer,” said Bryan Ocava, general manager at the Glen Ellyn Goldfish locationwho has been on five Belize trips, including the one this year.
Goldfish swim volunteers and the kids of Gales Point during a trip in 2023. Franchise owner Alex Tyler said he wants kids to be comfortable and have fun in the water. Courtesy of Bryan Ocava
Tyler said his goal is to get kids comfortable in the water so that it becomes a source of fun rather than fear. “We’ve definitely changed that mentality in the village,” Tyler said. “I’m hoping that for generations to come, that’ll continue.”
“The ability to see and experience other cultures and to build bonds and lasting relationships with other people that you normally wouldn’t interact with, it adds a shade of color to how you go about your day-to-day operations,” Ocava said. “It really gives you a sense of companionship and compassion.”
Belizean Ronelli Requena is competing in the #Made_In_TheCaribbean: UNESCO Transcultura Fashion Design competition. The UNESCO Transcultura Programme, supported by the European Union, highlights the creative brilliance of young talent across the Caribbean.
The Transcultura Fashion Design Competition marks the debut in a series of themed calls for the Transcultura Awards, celebrating and acknowledging the imaginative flair of emerging fashion professionals in the Caribbean.
Requena’s collection is called MEst-HIZO. She was challenged to craft an avant-garde mini-collection (consisting of 3 to 5 pieces) that embodies the essence of the Caribbean—its cultural diversity, artistic expressions, mutual exchanges and influences, or shared cultural traits.
You can vote for Requena by visiting unescohabana‘s Instagram page and commenting ‘MEst-HIZO’ under the post.
Regarding the shooting death of Elwin Rudolph Lewis, also known as “Bobo Youth,” which took place on Friday, March 22, 2024, police arrested and charged twenty-two-year-old Travis Jamaal Herbert with the crime of murder.
Lewis was gunned down on Friday night in front of Gwen Liz High School on Antelope Street in Belize City. He was driving a motorcycle heading in the direction from Elston Kerr Street towards Central American Boulevard when he was shot dead by someone on another motorcycle heading in the opposite direction.
