Millennium Baby showered with gifts

Around midnight on December thirty-first, expectant mothers throughout the world
pushed a little harder and watched the clock carefully, hoping to cash
in on the proceeds of having the first baby of the millennium. There were
more contenders, and hype, in foreign hospitals, but that didn’t stop
the K.H.M.H. from making sure Belize’s baby 2000 got some recognition.
On the first day of the New Year, proud mother Devra Middleton and her
newborn daughter, weighing in at nine pounds got a visit from the Prime
Minister and a gift that’s sure to ease her parent’s pockets for years
to come.

Said Musa, Prime Minister

“We’ve decided, government that is, to award a full scholarship to the first baby born in every health facility in each of the districts… a full scholarship all the way up to a first degree at the University of Belize. Also we’ll be arranging for a grant of five hundred dollars for each of those children born in each of those districts, the first born in this century to be deposited in a savings account in a financial institution of the choice of the parents and that money is to stay in that account without any withdrawals until the child is at least sixteen years old. We’ll also be giving a book grant up to sixth form for all the children, the first born children, throughout Belize in this century.”

The Government of Belize has also announced that every child born on the first of January, 2000 will receive a book grant up until sixth form. News Five spoke to Devra Middleton today who told us she has yet to name her daughter and is taking suggestions. In addition to her scholarship, baby Middleton received a one hundred-dollar account at the Holy Redeemer Credit Union from the Chairman of the Interim Board of the K.H.M.H., Karl Menzies. The Belize City Lions Club also presented two hundred fifty dollars worth of baby products to the baby girl and Santiago Castillo made their own donation of a box of diapers and a basket of health products. On Saturday, the Prime Minister promised to award the first baby born in his constituency, the Fort George area, with a full scholarship up to University level and said he hoped other representatives would follow suit.