Social Security awards scholarships

The Belize Social Security Board has most recently been in the news in connection with its efforts to finance expansion of National Health Insurance. But while politicians and actuaries debate the amount the Board could or should contribute to N.H.I., Social Security for years has been providing significant assistance in the field of education. News Five’s Janelle Chanona has the story from Belmopan.

Janelle Chanona, Reporting
This morning the Social Security Board awarded eighteen high school, seventeen junior college, and six university scholarships to students from across the country.

Cordelia Che and her mother left Punta Gorda at four a.m. to attend the Belmopan ceremony.

Cordelia Che, University of Belize Scholarship Recipient
“It’s not something that females usually are allowed to do, but my step in going forward in pursuing a Natural Resource Management career is so that I’ll be able to show other young females, especially in the Mayan culture, that they are able to be someone in life, be independent and try to make something of themselves and help the country of Belize in any way they can.”

Twelve year old Jonathon Cayetano can’t wait to start Muffles College this September.

Janelle Chanona
“What did you do when your mommy tell you get through?”

Jonathon Cayetano, Twelve years old
“Well I was swimming so then I jumped out of the water and started…” [Laughs]

Janelle Chanona
“What do you want to study Jonathon. What’s your…?”

Jonathon Cayetano
“Well I’m a very good student in maths and English, so I’m either going to study to be—own a business and to…”

Janelle Chanona
“So you going to make sure you study to keep this?”

Jonathon Cayetano
“Yes ma’am.”

Like many families in the room, Jonathon’s mom considers the S.S.B. scholarship a blessing.

Shenia Cayetano, Parent
“I knew that personally I can’t afford high school for them you know, because I bake for a living, so we always prayed that we would get this scholarship. So we thank God that we got this scholarship and I know that Jonathon will do well—do well in school with this scholarship.”

Tameka Juarez is also promising to do well in school. This semester, she’ll be majoring in Business Management, Economics, and Accounting at Saint John’s College Junior College.

Tameka Juarez, S.J.C.J.C. Scholarship Recipient
“My family—I didn’t grow up rich or anything so I want a better life and that’s my motivation to do well and excel, that’s basically it.

Janelle Chanona
”What’s the overall plan? What are you hoping to become one day?”

Tameka Juarez
“I’m somewhere between business owner, financial auditor or accountant or economist. One out of that, I haven’t decided as yet but hopefully when I attend S.J.C.J.C. and receive the course I will be able to make up my mind.”

The young men and women were among the hundreds of applicants that applied to the Social Security Board for financial assistance.

Yolanda Sabido, S.S.B. Scholarship Program Coordinator
“It is indeed very hard because all the students that apply for scholarships are indeed needy of it, but how to choose the most needy, that’s where the hard part comes in.”

As Scholarship Coordinator, Yolanda Sabido was one of several S.S.B. employees who were tasked to select this year’s recipients.

Yolanda Sabido
“After reading those applications and reading the essays and everything, I realise that indeed we have very needy and very intelligent children out there; but because they cannot afford it—and they really can’t afford it—then they cannot go to school and they lose everything they have, all their intelligence. They don’t have a way of enhancing that and it’s really, really sad, it’s really sad. So my kids, I always tell them, you be grateful for everything you have because definitely there are children out there that are very, very needy.”

In the past five years, the Social Security Board has invested more than seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars in education. Every year hundreds of students are turned away, but S.S.B. Chairman Michel Chebat says the fund is doing as much as possible to make a difference.

Michel Chebat, Chairman, S.S.B.
“We will look at the figures, we will speak to the actuary to see how if at all we can expand; because neither can we go overboard, you know. There is just so much we can do, we try to invest in sports, we try to invest in health; there are so many other areas we try to cover, so we try to spread it out as much as possible. But depending on the need and on the actuarial advice, we will determine whether we can expand or not.”

Janelle Chanona
“What would be your message to your other corporate colleagues?”

Michel Chebat
“Please join us. I mean, by educating the Belizean public, actually what you’re doing is you’re creating a better society. You are creating the future leaders of this country, you are empowering the people and once people are empowered and people are working, you get more contributions to Social Security, the banks—I mean, it’s just overall win-win for everyone.”

But experts agree that education is a team effort with parents, students, and teachers being key players in success.

Janelle Chanona
“So are you seeing that drive, that furtherance of look, I need to get my high school, I need to get my bachelor’s, I need to move ahead educationally?”

Maud Hyde, Chief Education Officer, Ministry of Education
“We are certainly seeing it and I think that parents are much more aware of the value of education. Of course there are some areas that we would like to see more enthusiasm and more effort put into education both by parents and students, but I must say speaking overall, it’s a huge improvement.”

Parent Hirian Good has seen that improvement and her interest in her children’s education has even taken her into the classroom.

Hirian Good, Parent
“By St. Joseph I mi use to go deh and sit down inna the class and listen how they teach the maths, yeah, so dah right so I learn to.”

Janelle Chanona
“So you woulda tell other parents do that too?”

Hirian Good
“Yes, do the same thing because without we, I think they can’t get ahead. They need fu we support, that is the main one.”

The Social Security high school scholarships are valued at four thousand dollars over four years, while junior college grants amount to four thousand five hundred dollars over two years. University students receive twenty thousand dollars to pursue their degrees over two years. Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona

This year three additional high school scholarships were granted. This was made possible when several students who were awarded scholarships in the past did not maintain the required academic standards, thus freeing funds for other candidates.