Belize Bank, Hand in Hand Donates House to Ladyville Resident
Four hundred and twenty-four families and counting – that’s how many houses have been gifted through the Hand in Hand Ministries’ Building for Change Programme, improving each family’s quality of life. The neediest of the needy goes through a screening process with the humanitarian organization. Then, with the support from corporate citizens, two-bedroom wooden houses are built within days and the keys handed over to the new homeowners. Today, the Belize Bank Limited gifted a single mother from Ladyville a brand new home; it was an emotional handing over, and News Five’s Duane Moody was there.
Darlene Polonio, Homeowner
“Big thanks to everybody weh by my side right now. And if my husband was here right now, I woulda mi be happier right now, but he is not here with me.”
Darlene Polonio
Duane Moody, Reporting
It was an emotional handing over today at Partridge Street in Vista Del Mar, Ladyville when a single mother of one recently lost her husband in a freak accident. She handed the keys to a brand new house. It was Darlene and her family’s dream to own their own space, and while their little family is physically incomplete, she was super grateful that a long time wish has come true.
Darlene Polonio
“I di look for this place long time fi see dehn people weh build house. they say no, not that lane. We gone again, we gone by burying ground and we find the spot. So I say what we wah do now. I say, weh we wah do now, I need wah house cause the hurricane knock my house down and left a big hole in the house. And I feel bad cause I have to live with my mother-in-law too. And I am glad that how I got my own house back.”
Rashida Bethran
It’s the four hundred and twenty-fourth house that has been constructed through the Building for Change Programme of the Hand in Hand Ministries. It’s a gratifying venture says Rashida Bethran because the quality of life of that many families have been improved.
Rashida Bethran, Director, Building for Change Programme, Hand in Hand Ministries
“It’s always a most heart-warming process when we have the ability to give back and give a family a home, bless them with a home. It is life changing for our partners and also life-changing for me.”
Valued at eighteen thousand dollars, the two-bedroom house, inspired by Polonio’s design, was built with financial support from the Belize Bank Limited. This is also the tenth year that the bank has partnered with Hand in Hand, but due to the pandemic, its staff could not participate in the home’s construction.
Denise Godfrey
Denise Godfrey, Senior Marketing Officer, Belize Bank
“We strongly believe in giving back to the community which we serve. When the coordinator reached out to us this year, I mean during the pandemic, we had been getting a lot of requests, but we just couldn’t turn this one down. This is the tenth year that we’ve been partnering with Hand in Hand Ministries for their building for change programme. Normally they would send us a list; this year we did get that list and as you would imagine, a lot of people were in need and Miss Darlene’s case really stood out for us. She and her son, Anthony, they were really in dire need of a home and hence we went forward with the plan to support them.”
Duane Moody for News Five.
