2015 Inspiration Calendar Launched

The fifth edition of the Inspiration Calendar and agenda were launched earlier today; the calendar features the art work of special needs children who are clients of the Inspiration Center. The items are being sold to raise funds to support the services offered to the young students. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.
Master of Ceremonies

“Asher Leslie is a nine-year-old standard three student at Ephesus Primary School in Belize City.  Asher loves spending time in his yard caring for his many pets.  He especially loves spending time with his dogs and feeding his chickens.  Asher was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and is our January artist for the month of January.  A round of applause please.”

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

As it does annually, the Inspiration Center has launched its yearly calendar.  This morning, a bevy, including children with special needs, as well as government officials and patrons, gathered for the big reveal.

Kim Simplis-Barrow

Kim Simplis-Barrow, Special Envoy for Women & Children

“I am pleased to share that all our young artists this year are among the clients of the Inspiration Center who are now benefiting from services including medical care, physical therapy, speech therapy, social work services and community based rehabilitation.  They are among the children with responsibilities who can have more opportunities in their lives with the continued support of people like you who purchase the 2015 agendas that are also being launched today.”

On hand to deliver the main address was Rosanna Briceno.  She’s been active in dealing with special needs cases in Orange Walk.

Rosanna Briceño

Rosanna Briceño, Principal, St. Peter Anglican School

“The Inspiration Center and efforts to raise funds to keep it running is important to Belize and more so for our citizens with special needs.  The launching of the 2015 agenda, along with the calendar is a fundraising event but more importantly it represents greater awareness by every one of the important initiatives being carried out on behalf of these very special Belizeans.  This year is particularly special because the children themselves were the artists once again and through their art they speak to all of us.  Their message to all of us is, please do not ignore us, please see that we to have something to share.”

Minister of Education Patrick Faber who also addressed the gathering, acknowledges the role of the Inspiration Center, as well as the need to bolster the sector which deals with the education of children with special needs.

Patrick Faber

Patrick Faber, Minister of Education

“This is an area of our education system that we need to work more diligently on and of course there is a lot to be desired altogether on what we need to be doing in education.  But I say that to say to you thanks firstly for the contributions that you are making to help us to be able to provide more in terms of this area of our education system but to say to all who are hearing me that indeed education continues to be everybody’s business and there is a lot that we need to do and we need all hands on board.”

A check for over twenty thousand dollars was also handed over this morning to the Inspiration Center by McNab Publishing.  The company has worked closely with the organization and has been publishing the calendar, as well as the agenda for several years. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.