UNICEF Xchange launches grant programme for youths

Anybody who’s ever applied for a loan will tell you it can be a challenging process but this month, one organization is cutting down on the red tape to give Belizean youths cash capital to make a difference in their community. UNICEF Xchange Programme Coordinator Herbert Wiltshire explains what “positive idea for a positive reality” is all about.

Herbert Wiltshire, Project Coordinator, UNICEF Xchange
?We are giving young people in Belize the opportunity to send in proposals to us identifying issues within their community that they want to address, and tell us how they want to address it. And also the types of activities that they would do in order to achieve their objective and also a budget. What we will be doing, we will be selecting from all the entries we receive countrywide?we will be selecting two winners per district, giving them a grant of anywhere between one thousand to two thousand dollars to implement the plan.?

Kendra Griffith, Reporting
?What type of proposals and ideas are you all looking for??

Herbert Wiltshire
?Well, as in terms of ideas, it?s all from the young people, whatever issues are affecting them or their society. Their environment on a whole, but mainly we are looking at like violence, HIV/AIDS and whatever issues that I mentioned before that are affecting these young people that they believe they have the capacity as groups to address.?

Applicants should be between ten and twenty-four years old. For more information on the programme or to get help with proposals, applicants can call the UNICEF office at 223-3609 or send an email to cvillar@unicef.org. Deadline for submissions is September fifteenth.