Mothers paint Supreme Court

You may pass it everyday on your way to work and noticed that the Belize Supreme Court building is badly in need of a facelift. Rust has taken over the iron railings, fence and gate while the paint on the walls has faded. While you would expect it would be a job for the male population to undertake, a group of women have taken up the challenge.

Despite the heat of the day and the height they had to climb, eleven women have been given the task of painting the Supreme Court building. The women, who were unemployed, say they are only too glad for the opportunity to make some money.

Alina Alvarez

“It is really hard to get jobs here in Belize. Well I think right now we would be home maybe sleeping or something like that.”

Bridget Miranda, the project’s coordinator, operates a housekeeping and laundry service. She says the project came about through her efforts to get a contract from the Ministry of Housing.

Bridget Miranda, Coordinator, Project

“I have been working for Miss Gaynor Ferguson Palacio and I decided to give her my idea that I wanted to do the cleaning for the newly constructed houses before they hand them over to the owners, because she works with BOWAND and she is into women bigging-up themselves. So I said okay, so I gave her the letter and she wrote a recommendation letter to Mr. (Dickie) Bradley and she said you would have to be behind him though and I said sure.”

While the housecleaning job did not come through, the women were offered the opportunity to paint the Supreme Court. They were only too glad to pick up the paintbrushes.

Bridget Miranda

“It’s only women; we have eleven of us working right now. Cause I noticed some women are climbing really high to get the job done. I told them they have got to climb high to show the men that they are not the only ones that can do that; we can do it.”

Miranda says they will finish the job next week.