Y.W.C.A. Hosts Annual Open House
The Y.W.C.A. is celebrating sixty-four years in Belize this month. The Belize Chapter of the Y offers instructional and training programmes that promote education, income generation for women and girls, physical development and other creative activities for healthy living. As a part of its public engagement and transparency, the Y hosts an annual open house event to showcase its programmes and services. News Five stopped by the Y.W.C.A. today for the showcase.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
The Young Women’s Christian Association held its annual open house today in Belize City. It’s an event where the Y.W.C.A. showcases its services to the public, as well as raise funds to supports it programmes.
Joevannie Collins
Joevannie Collins, Programmes Coordinator, Y.W.C.A.
“Our Open House is one of our biggest fundraiser events but it is also a way of showing transparency. The Y.W.C.A. is a full-fledge N.G.O. and in order for us to show that we are doing what we say we are doing on the media and verbally, we would host an open house. It is basically to just offer to the public a view of what we do on a daily basis; the services that we offer on a daily basis.”
The Y.W.C.A.’s Helping Early Leavers Programme is one of its flag-ship initiatives that offer two-year skills training for young women from thirteen to eighteen-years-old. Today, the Y.W.C.A. showed off the students’ skills in hospitality; cosmetology and sewing courses.
Joevannie Collins
“There are aprons; gowns; hats; economy bags that we are trying to display because as you know Belize has agreed to be a part of this going green thing and so plastics and foam we are not displaying today. So, we have economy bags that you can purchase because when u go to the supermarket you won’t be able to get a bag and so even the food in the food court is being served in biodegradable plate. We have cosmetology with a display at the back on how to do manicures and pedicures and facials. We have the day care which is open for walk through. We still have school going on because we want to show the public how we operate. We also have the pool at the back with the display out front with all the equipment we use and how we use them. We have the food court where the board of directors and other departments pooled together to contribute meals. So, we thought about everything that a person would need and that is what makes up the Y.W.C.A. So, it is not only the HELP programme, but we have the preschool for three and four year olds and we have classes so you can actually see the one on one connection with the student and the teacher.”
Several organizations and businesses also participated in the Y.W.C.A.’s Open Day.
Joevannie Collins
“We have ten entities, organizations and businesses who are here to support us. We have San Cas; RET International; PETAL; Haven House; Department of Youth Services; Ministry of Health – with COVID19, that is now a pandemic, so we have to let the public know what is happening and the way we doing that is through information. So, today, all of these entities pooled together to let us have a full fledged open house.”
Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
