Featured - Channel 5 Belize

Tubal Students Complete Course on Positive Outlook

Sometimes people get depressed based on the words that other people utter to them. Today, the Tubal Trade and Vocational Institute in Ladyville held a brief graduation ceremony for twenty-six students who have completed an eight-week course called Journey to a Life of Significance. It is designed for youths who experience low self-esteem based on what life has dealt them and the effect that other people’s words have on them. Now, having completed the course, the students say they believe they are at a better place in their lives. News Five’s Marion Ali was there when they received their certificates and filed this report.

Marion Ali, Reporting

The words of the song “Beautiful” by Christina Aguilera serve to uplift the spirit and lend a positive mindset to the listener. In the same way, an eight-week long course by Restore Ministries in Nashville Tennessee seeks to restore the hope that youths have lost, either by what they have endured in life or what others have subjected them to. Kenroy Young is the Belize Project Facilitator.

Kenroy Young, Facilitator, Program Director, Belize Project

The journey to a life of significance focuses on the individual self, how we perceive ourselves and how we look at ourselves in relation to this, the descriptions that we give to ourselves and the labels that we give to ourselves. And that’s why it says freedom from low self-esteem, because the book focuses on individuals who have been suffering from isolation, fear of rejection, shame and the levels of shame are very deep. It goes all the way into toxic shame. And when we suffer from toxic shame, these create thoughts in our minds that we’re not good enough.

We spoke with three students who enrolled in the course for various reasons, and they each had a positive outlook on their lives.

Abner Mai, Graduate, Graduate, Journey to a Life of Significance

Things weh yoh have a hole in your chest, weh yoh might never want nobody know then. The course mek yoh just talk about it, relax, and have a good lee time, and then, yeah, I mi really –

Marion Ali

So coming out of it, you feel how now?

Abner Mai

I feel a little bit better now because during the course, I had things weh mi hold me down, and after I talk about it ih just ease my mind and not really think about it again.

Alisha Rivers, Graduate, Journey to a Life of Significance

You should always bring out yourself, know that you are worthy.

Marion Ali

So eight weeks later, now, how do you feel about yourself?

Alishe Rivers

I feel good. I feel released. I feel gladness.

Tajan Grant, Graduate, Journey to a Life of Significance

It helps a lot with people who really need to be heard, and, like me, for instance, I don’t really take it so well being alone. I normally just talk to people online. That’s, how I cope with being alone.

Andrew August, Country Director, Restore Ministries

We worth, our worth doesn’t devalue. We might seem wrinkle up and mash up like this $100 because of the experience and trauma and things that we went through in our life, but we are still worth worthy.

Andrew August is the Country Director for Restore Ministries. He used the analogy of a crumpled hundred-dollar note to impart the message that we as humans also never lose our value.

Andrew August

God made us and he values us. And so we have to value ourself no matter where we go through. Just always remember that your life is valuable and people love you.

Kenroy Young used his own life experiences to show that it is possible to do anything with a shift in mindset.

Kenroy Young

Once upon a time in my life, I suffered from low self-esteem by looking at my sisters, both my sisters, having academic achievements before me in life, because I was distracted by my own personal waywardness while I was a youth. and my rebelliousness and while I was locked up in prison they were going for their dreams going for their goals they keep focused and motivated and inside that would really like hinder my mind it’s like I haven’t accomplished enough.

And I came back out here and I said, you know something, I’m going to let the achievements of my siblings be my strength; that I am happy that they are achieving great things. And because of that, that inspired me to come out of that isolated, low self esteem.

For Young, his belief in God is what pulled him through.

Kenroy Young

God opened my eye and said, you don’t need academic accolades. Look at what you’re doing around you. Look at the lives that you’re touching around you. And it’s not because of what I am doing. It’s because of what he’s doing through me.

Marion Ali for News Five.

Belize Engages in Lima Meeting on Global Ammunition Management

CEO of the Ministry of Home Affairs and New Growth Industries Sharole Carr was in Lima, Peru, earlier this month where she participated in a meeting focused on the Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management. The framework, adopted by the UN, aims to improve the management and security of conventional ammunition in Latin America and the Caribbean.

During the meeting, CEO Carr shared Belize’s progress in modernizing ammunition management, revising legislation, and enhancing inter-agency cooperation. Her participation underscored the importance of regional collaboration and Belize’s commitment to high standards in ammunition security. Carr’s role also highlights Belize’s dedication to integrating gender perspectives and promoting women’s participation in security practices.

Generations of Change: Climate Perspectives and Justice in Belize

Our Earth has witnessed generations coming and going. Although the lifestyles between generations vary greatly, we all face a common threat: climate change. Each generation has its own perspective on climate change and its ideas about what should be done to achieve climate justice. These ideas range from the simple change in weather patterns to more profound impacts.

I had the opportunity to interview different generations of Belizeans and foreign nationals living in Belize to gain an understanding of how climate change has impacted their lives, their understandings of climate justice, and their recommendations for fostering climate justice within the Belizean community. The meaning of climate change also varies from person to person. Some might think of climate change as merely a change in weather patterns. Others, such as Dr. Kasthuri Henry, see climate change as “the effect of the cancer known as humankind on our Earth.”

A common denominator among these generations is the threat climate change poses to different aspects of their lives. Each interviewee—a high school student, a parent and market vendor, a community empowerment advocate in their 50s, and an elderly person—all see significant changes in weather patterns and increased heat.

The rising temperatures in Belize are nothing new. Dorothy Jean Wade, a resident of Corozal, stated during her interview that over her eighty-nine years of life in Belize, she has seen how the country has become drier. She specifically noted that in the late weeks of May and early June, which she remembers as being rainy in her youth, there is now a lack of rain.

She directly links this to the decreased abundance of crops in Belize. As the daughter of a farmer, she remembers her house being filled to the ceiling with fruit. However, in recent years, she has seen trees in the surrounding villages of Corozal withering away due to lack of rain. The lack of rain and rising heat, she believes, contribute to rising crop prices. Her biggest concern is not just the heat but also the impact that the high cost of fruits and vegetables has on the younger generation. With increased prices, crops become less accessible to the public, which in turn impacts the nutrition of children in families.

*Corozal Farmer’s Market Source: Corozal Live*

Today’s youth have similar concerns about their future. J.W., a high school student at Sacred Heart College, expressed serious concerns about her future. Her concerns stem from the fact that she has no idea what climate justice is, which she sees as an injustice. Her understanding of climate change is the changing weather patterns that affect the Earth’s inhabitants.

As our climate is changing, so should our people and our education systems. Youths wish for more climate-related topics to be included in their curriculum. In Belize, students are among the most affected by the heat waves over the past weeks. Due to poor infrastructural design of buildings, students at Sacred Heart College are pursuing their education in classrooms that can be compared to ovens.

This has affected students’ health both physically and mentally, causing rashes, anxiety, and increased stress. Students are so focused on finding ways to cope with the heat that they cannot concentrate on their lessons. In addition, due to the unbearable heat, teachers are often forced to give free periods, which delays students’ education. Both teachers and students are frustrated by the heat, which strains student-teacher interactions.

J.W. is concerned about how this hindrance to their education will affect their future career opportunities. Adaptation strategies need to be implemented nationwide to ensure that students receive the education they deserve. Most importantly, she encourages students to speak up about their right to an education in a comfortable setting. We should voice our concerns and work on solutions together.

Of course, as a society, it is no single nation’s fault or one person’s duty to combat the effects of climate change on crops and education. Dr. Henry touches on the topic of taking accountability and responsibility toward the environment. We must all consider ourselves caretakers of the Earth. Dr. Henry works in rural communities, teaching children about gardening, pickling, bottling, and integrating these skills into family life. She believes in promoting a connection with nature and understanding its wealth through hands-on learning and sustainability practices.

Recycling plastic to make Christmas ornaments – an initiative with Dr. Kasthuri Henry, the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management and Minister Orlando Habet’s Team.

The term “climate justice” exists because we have been using resources unjustly. To move toward a more equal society, we need to break the cycles of neglect that have been placed on our environment, with an emphasis on teaching youth, supporting teachers, and empowering creative problem solvers. Apart from showing up, we must be consistent and persevere when faced with resistance.

Emotional Intelligence – Summer Youth Leadership Camp at St. Ignatius High School

The perspectives on climate change and climate justice from various generations in Belize underscore the urgent need for collective action and education. It is evident that climate change is not just an environmental issue but a social and economic one that impacts food security, health and education. By fostering a deeper connection with nature, promoting sustainable practice and integrating climate education into our curricula we can empower the next generation to take informed and effective action. Together, we can create a more just and sustainable future for Belize and beyond.

by Anwar Wade

This story was published with the support of the Caribbean Climate Justice Journalism Fellowship, which is a joint venture of Climate Tracker and Open Society Foundations.

BSI Addresses Domestic Market Sugar Supply

Is there another shortage of sugar on the local market? According to B.S.I., there have been complaints of a scarcity of sugar, despite the miller having increased the amount of sugar being sold on the domestic market when compared to the same period in 2023. B.S.I. says that notwithstanding the availability of sugar locally, the contrabanding of plantation white sugar continues unabated. The company says it has written to the Government of Belize once more to urge Cabinet to review and increase the price of domestic sugar. A release from B.S.I. says, (quote) the wide disparity between domestic prices and regional prices, combined with production shortages, particularly in Mexico is creating a lucrative incentive for sugar to be smuggled outside of Belize (end quote).

BSCFA Pleased with Expert’s Report on Port Charges

Earlier this month, the Belize Sugar Industries issued a press release on the report by the independent expert commissioned to determine port charges and how they should be applied. In the release, the B.S.I stated that Hugh O’Brien concluded that the industry was saving significant costs from the transition to the Port of Big Creek through more efficient loading. And today, the B.S.C.F.A has issued a release of its own release in which it stated that O’Brien’s report looked at much more than just that one element. Chief Executive Officer of the B.S.C.F.A, Oscar Alonzo says there were several other port-related charges that O’Brien’s report analyzed and made recommendations for, and that a few of these were concerns that they had raised concerns over. And while the B.S.C.F.A is satisfied with the work that O’Brien did, they express in their release that there are other critical cost items that require evaluation, such as local handling charges and manufacturing allowance. Alonzo shared with us the other charges that O’Brien analyzed that they were happy with.

Oscar Alonzo, Chief Executive Officer, B.S.C.F.A

“The report also included recommendations from the expert on how information can be recorded and be provided in a manner that would make it transparent and accountable. And it is similar to what we have been raising with BSI, right, that one of the recommendations that we had made was the fact that these costs need to be separated. In the negotiations there were proposals to change in the deduction terminology of ocean freight to ocean freight and terminal handling charge as one cost classification. And we had been asking that they be separated and that separate figures be provided for each of them. Also, there was the proposal in the negotiations that cost of stevedoring be mingled with throughput fee. And again, we had requested that this cost be separated and in order to provide greater and a better understanding and a better appreciation of the values of these, costs, right. In the metric value statement that is provided by B.S.I in the calculation of the price of sugarcane, it appears that these costs will be enumerated in that fashion and we agree with the independent expert that these costs should be separated, should be itemized and the figures provided for each of them. There’s the other issue regarding the use of the terminology “tons” right. Different documents use different definitions of ton. Some use metric ton, some use short ton, some use long tons. And this also creates a bit of misunderstanding, noh. So those were the two main recommendations, right that the expert made in order to provide real transparency and accountability.”

B.S.C.F.A Anticipates Start of Inquiry

Now that O’Brien’s report is complete and he has made recommendations for both the B.S.C.F.A, and A.S.R./B.S.I. to consider regarding port charges, the association is now looking forward to other testy matters at hand. It was over a year ago that the government announced it would convene a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the modernization of the sugar cane industry and improve its viability. Since then, the terms of reference have been determined and the exercise was gazetted in March. A.S.R./B.S.I.’s attorney, Senior Counsel Godfrey Smith had said in a previous press briefing that his clients view the inquiry in the same light as they did the government’s sugar industry regulations. The High Court had struck down the regulations on grounds that they were an invasive attempt to delve into the private business of the company. A.S.R./B.S.I. has also denounced the inquiry, but today Alonzo said the B.S.C.F.A was looking into forward to its start.

Oscar Alonzo, Chief Executive Office, B.S.C.F.A

“The Commission of Inquiry is still an ongoing process, and this is why we feel right that what was done by the expert only relates to two costs. There are other costs that we hope the Commission to Inquiry to look into as far as the review of the sugar industry as a whole, noh? The commissioners have been appointed, the terms of reference have been agreed to and what is being delayed is the commencement – the establishment, the actual sitting down and the commencement of the work at the commission. As far as we’re concerned, BSI is in agreement with the terms and conditions of the agreement. They have even proposed two experts to be commissioners, which have been accepted by the Prime Minister, and I think they were simply waiting the names. And as far as we understand, our names have been received and the commission should begin its work. But we are concerned and we hope that the Prime Minister would have the work commence as quickly as possible because originally, it was intended that the work would have been completed by the end of July this year. Now, several months have passed and then we are concerned that this will extend into next year. We would like this thing completed because remember the agreement that we signed in January was for a period of two years.”

Municipal Boundaries to be Redrawn Across the Country

It’s been over three decades since the municipal boundaries for several towns, including Corozal, Orange Walk, San Pedro, Dangriga, San Ignacio and Benque Viejo, have been expanded. In fact, the last exercise that was conducted by the Ministry of Local Government was to delineate the boundaries of Hopeville and Punta Gorda Town. Both communities are adjacent to each other. In the weeks ahead, a series of meetings will be held to sensitize the public on what is being put forward as a municipal boundaries re-delineation exercise. The initiative has been long in the making, and Cabinet has given the go ahead for consultations to begin. Clifford King is the Director of Local Government.

Clifford King, Director of Local Government

“Cabinet has approved that the proposal goes to public sensitization and so that’s what we are embarking to do beginning next week. We are going to bring this to the attention of general public that this is the new consideration for the municipal boundary and what are the implications of this. How is this going to impact municipal development and the obligations of the municipality to provide services? But also, from a resident and a business perspective, what are the implications for you as residents. And so we are going to be having these discussions in the public and town hall meetings starting next week in Dangriga, Monday, and we are hoping that residents will turn out to be apprised of what is being proposed. Municipal boundaries, as they currently exist, really date back to a very long time, as a matter of fact to the 1980s and 1990s. The most recently updated municipal boundary was for Punta Gorda Town and you may remember when the Hopeville Community was established and that was then taken into account. But for the other six municipalities, namely Corozal, Orange Walk, San Pedro, Benque Viejo, San Ignacio and Dangriga, those boundaries go back to the 1980s and the 1990s. What has happened over the years, naturally the space around these municipalities have grown naturally. Expansion has naturally come for residential and commercial purposes and for industrial purposes.”

Redrawing Municipal Boundaries Should be Done Regularly

According to King, services are being provided to these smaller communities by the municipalities that are nearby. In the case of San Pedro, it is the only town on the island of Ambergris Caye. As such, services are also being provided by the San Pedro Town Council to smaller islands that aren’t far off.

Clifford King, Director of Local Government

”We recognize that in many instances, in fact all instances, the municipal body, just by the nature of what they have to do or what they’ve been doing, they provide services to these areas and residents in these areas demand these services. For example, these areas have streets, they have drainage. In many instances, the municipal government collects garbage and disposes of garbage, there are public spaces that are maintained, street buffers, they have parks and playgrounds that are being maintained in these spaces that are right around what we have known as the established boundaries for these towns. But these areas are not a legal part of the jurisdiction, if you can put it that way.So in collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and in consultation with the town councils and the village councils that buffer these communities, we sat down and we’ve had numerous meetings to finally end up with what we have as the proposed expansion and re-delineation of boundaries in some areas. So you’ll find out that in some places like San Pedro, there’s an expansion, there’s a proposed expansion of the boundaries of the town to, essentially include most of the island. And there’s a rationale behind that, of course, there one town on Ambergris Caye and so everybody on that island basically comes to the town council for services and this even extends to some of the islets around the island. People come to the town council for services and generally in those instances it’s for the basic infrastructure services and for the basic garbage collection services and disposal, if you could put it that way. What is important to note is that just because of the natural development of municipalities, these kinds of things need to happen almost every ten years. Unfortunately for us in Belize, we don’t always take that step to do these things as a matter of process and procedure and so when they come to light, they create red flags or they get people anxious. But really, these are things that should be happening on a more regular basis.”

Celebrity is Scammed Out of Thousands in Food and Drinks

Twenty-five-year-old Jemine Thurton is making headlines tonight for scamming a popular Belize City restaurant and bar out of thousands of dollars in food and drinks. Between March twenty-fourth and May first, she ordered generously from Celebrity’s menu, requesting shots of tequila, nachos, Heineken beer, shrimp alfredo and an extensive list of other food and drinks amounting to three thousand, two hundred and twenty-eight dollars. Thurton never paid for any of it and has been charged with two counts of obtaining property by deception. It is alleged that Thurton, a regular customer of Celebrity’s, scammed the establishment by making fraudulent online payments. Taylor Fuller, an administrator at the restaurant, grew suspicious when he observed two payments dated May fifteenth and seventeenth, respectively. According to Fuller, the online banking system does not make mistakes with time and dates as it is an automated process. When he visited Belize Bank to make a query, Fuller was informed that the transactions were illegitimate. He then did a review of all the previous payment transactions made by Thurton and discovered that none of the payments were legitimate. On Sunday, a police report was filed by Fuller and Thurton was arrested and charged. She appeared in court earlier today where she was charged with two counts of obtaining property by deception. She pleaded not guilty to both charges and was offered bail in the sum of five thousand dollars, plus one surety of the same amount.

Government Cracking Down on Cyber Scams

Due to its accessibility and the option of anonymity, the internet has become the primary place to conduct a get-rich-quick scheme. Over the past few years, many Belizeans have fallen victim to online scams and authorities have grappled with how to counteract them. Today, Minister of Home Affairs, Kareem Musa was asked what efforts are being made to limit the number of online scammers in Belize. Here’s his response.

Kareem Musa, Minster of Home Affairs

“Yes, cyber security, as over the last five years to a decade, has been on the front burner for our ministry and across the region. As you know, Jamaica was facing an incredible issue with scammers in Jamaica. And now we have seen it come to our shores on a much smaller scale, but at the same time, extremely important. And so we have been monitoring this along with the chamber of commerce. They have brought it to our attention from last year. A number of call centers have raised the issue. And so moving forward it is our intention to meet with them to see what types of legislation we can put in place for them. I’m happy that in some situations, we are able to charge individuals for the fraud that they have committed, but moving forward, tightening the legislation around that is extremely important.”

Reporter

“Sir, would the presence of the regional police commissioners be able to bolster your efforts along those lines?”

Kareem Musa

“Absolutely. Like I said, that is a cross region issue. That’s one of the top issues, cyber security and so it is expected that will be addressed.”