After 44 years, VSO leaves Belize

After forty-four years of dedicated service to the people of Belize the organisation known as VSO today officially shut down its operations here. Voluntary Services Overseas, often described as the British version of the U.S. Peace Corps, placed hundreds of skilled volunteers in Belize who compiled an impressive record of technical assistance. In a closing ceremony in Belmopan Prime Minister Said Musa paid tribute to VSO’s work, saying it made a lasting impact on the country. The decision to withdraw the organisation from Belize was made in 1998 when it was concluded that British volunteers should target only the world’s poorest nations, a category into which Belize no longer fit. While the history of VSO in Belize is a proud one, we must recall that Belize was not always a welcoming environment. In 1991 Jill O’Borne, a VSO volunteer based in Dangriga, was brutally murdered. Ellis Taibo was convicted of the crime and sentenced to death. The case was reversed on appeal, however, and in a retrial Taibo was acquitted.