Children compete for chance to star in health video
SHAPES, it’s not a dance group or a fashion show, it’s the School Health and Physical Education Services Program. The project is aimed at “shaping up” the lives of Belizean children by promoting feeding programs, basic health services and health education. Today, SHAPES held a competition to see which schools would have the honor of participating in locally produced videos about Belizean health issues to be shown in schools countrywide.
Felecia Michael, Student
“I think it perfect in a way because it encourage we to like, all of us could be together. It’s a lot of schools but all of us join under one roof and have fun.”
The children from the twelve primary schools all over Belize did have fun today, but along the way, they are learning important life skills.
Regina Neal, SHAPES
“What they learn in school about nutrition, they will portray it there. What they learn in school about dental health, they will portray it here. So they will, this should help them be more keen about the whole health, basically practice healthier lifestyles.”
The themes of the skits and songs ranged from immunization to dental health to child abuse. It is not all light-hearted, however, some schools say the children chose topics based on negative things they see happening every day.
Theresita Levy, Sacred Heart Primary School, Dangriga
“This skit here on sexual abuse is something that we are experiencing in Dangriga so it’s kind of a skit on what’s going on. The other skit we brought up is on nutrition and right now in Dangriga, at our school, we are beginning a feeding program which again is promoting nutrition in our school and in the town.”
La Immaculada Middle School from Orange Walk also chose sexual abuse as the theme for their presentation, a song called, “Voice of Silence”.
Joaquin Urbina, La Immaculada Middle School
“Children are being denied and deprived from their rights so therefore this event will definitely promote and encourage children to speak out for their rights and I believe also that adults will be more respectful to the children also.”
Organizers are aware that more schools should have been at the City Centre today. They hope the turnout will be better next year.
Regina Neal
“Participation was rather disappointing for us but I think we didn’t do as much promotion as we should have. So next year we will have another health competition, we don’t know what kind, but we will definitely do promotion next year.”
In addition to appearances on the health videos, the schools with the three best songs and skits will each receive a television and VCR as well as a first aid kit. The prizes were donated by PAHO, WHO and HECOPAB. SHAPES is an initiative of the Ministry of Education with assistance from the Ministries of Health, Human Development and Agriculture as well as NGOs, PAHO, UNICEF and WHO.
