OCEANA & BTV Partner Up to Provide COVID-19 Relief for Toledo Fisherfolk
Fifty families in Toledo are set to receive food hampers. The generous donation is being sponsored by OCEANA Belize through the Belize Territorial Volunteers. The food packages are to extend some help to families in Barranco, as well as others in the wider Moho and Temash area of Toledo. BTV Leader Wil Maheia has packaged off the goods and will be doing distributions this week. He says that the donation comes as a big help for fisher-folk families who have been feeling the pinch during this challenging time.
Wil Maheia, Leader, BTV
“About fifty families will receive, as we haven’t delivered as yet because this morning we were packing it up. But fifty families will benefit. We are giving out some rice, beans, salt and flour and so on – you know the basic food stuff because we know it has been very challenging especially for these folks who live on the waters. We know that along with the BTV we are always down there to make sure there are no illegal fishing and that kinda stuff, so we always run into these fishermen and we just want them to know that we are concerned not only when there is time of illegal fishing but that we are concerned all the time about the human beings. OCEANA knew what we were doing and they have always had a good relationship with the territorial volunteers and they wanted to give some help, so instead of them making an extra trip to come down there, they gave us the funds and we purchased the food to give out to the fishermen. They are going to welcome this and I know there are times when we have encounters with them because of fishing methods, but we say, hey, it is nothing personal. It is about sustainability, longevity, it’s about Belize. I am sure they will welcome it and they have showed a lot of interest in receiving what we will be bringing their way. I want to say a huge thank you to the Belizean populace; to OCEANA; and we have had a number of other Belizeans right here in Punta Gorda and Toledo area, when they see us giving stuff they also bring items for us to give out as well.”
As a part of giving back to the community, the BTV donated fish to frontline personnel at the hospital in Punta Gorda, as well as to other residents.
