Taiwanese Embassy Lends Financial Support to Albert CARE Centre

The Republic of China (Taiwan) made a donation of thirty thousand dollars today to the Albert Division, specifically its Action Committee for the development of a CARE Centre on the second floor of the constituency office of Minister Tracy Panton. The facility, when completed will provide for the many schools and students within the division with the aim to provide access for the youth to a safe space to do projects and assignments, but also for extra-curricular training and skills building programmes. A brief handing over ceremony was held today and News Five’s Duane Moody files this report.

Duane Moody, Reporting

The Albert Action Committee, through Minister Tracy Panton, is transforming the second floor of its Regent Street office into the Albert CARE Centre. The goal is to provide students with a space where they can do their assignments, access internet, computers and printing services as well as receive counselling and other support where necessary. The building and property is held in trust by Panton’s family and there has been a commitment that the building will be used to serve the community.

Tracy Panton

Tracy Panton, Area Representative, Albert Division

“When we submitted the proposal for consideration, it was clear that it was coming from the committee and that the committee wanted to use this space to serve the young people in the division at this time. There’s lots that is entails, as you know, in running programmes out of any care centre or facility that is set up to serve the youth. And so we do anticipate that we will continue to garner the support of the business community, the international community as we serve the young people in this division.”

The project is being made possible through a donation of thirty thousand dollars from the Embassy of Taiwan in Belize. While the support from Taiwan is normally at the national or state level, the proposal from the Albert’s committee somehow caught the attention of Ambassador Remus Chen.  He says he was touched by the initiative and the Albert Division is in need of these kinds of opportunities.

Remus Li-Kuo Chen

Remus Li-Kuo Chen, Taiwanese Ambassador to Belize

“When it comes to education, when it comes to community oriented or based projects that can help the young generation, the young students—they are the future of your great country. And also of course for the nature, the merits and the benefits that it is going to bring to actually the people we see today, especially the students, I am very touched. Before I actually joined the foreign service, as an educator and as a teacher, I found it so meaningful and very helpful that when it comes to the issue that you can do help, a long term good and investment to the young kids, it is really helpful. And it should cross the boundaries of countries and culture.”

There are seven primary and high schools within the Albert Division, and far more students who live in the area. The care centre will be able to provide tutoring services for children who need one-on-one support in various subjects.

Tracy Panton

“We have talked to some of our retired teachers to help us with that programme. We hope to do mentorship. Certainly any kind of social support services that a child may need here at the centre. There will be access to the internet so if a student or a class may need help with doing some research. And we also have a very active youth arm in the constituency and so it will be a space where they can meet, share ideas. We intend to do from time to time, skills, life training for our young people in the division.”

Duane Moody for News Five.