Twenty-one I Am Belize Scholarship Recipients
The annual I Am Belize Scholarship Program has seen many students receive the financial assistance necessary for them to complete high school. Over the years, students from across the country, primarily in Belize City, have benefited from the initiative. This morning, a new cohort of students was recognized as they prepare to enter another chapter of their academic life in September. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
Twenty-one students who will be moving on to secondary school at the start of the new school year were awarded with academic scholarships this morning. At a brief ceremony held at The Hub, RESTORE Belize and the Office of the Prime Minister acknowledged and encouraged them in their pursuits. These kids are faced with socioeconomic challenges and are trying their best to rise above society’s setbacks. Christine Smith is the Executive Director at RESTORE Belize.
Christine Smith
Christine Smith, Executive Director, RESTORE Belize
“There’s an application process, they full out the application and then based on that we do home visits because since it’s a holistic program we need to understand the dynamics of the young people who are applying. So we do home visits to understand the conditions of the home and the support system that is there because any child who wants to go to high school can access opportunities, but if no support exists at home then the probability of them succeeding lessens.”
Prime Minister John Briceño, whose office works closely with RESTORE Belize, was on hand for the recognition ceremony. The program is a continuation of an initiative that was launched under the Barrow administration. Realizing the need for such an effort, P.M. Briceño and his government are in full support of this program.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“Here we have twenty-one young Belizean kids that come from communities at risk or families at risk and RESTORE Belize is trying to offer an opportunity to them. It is a program that was started under the previous administration and it’s just proof that when we see something that is good, that needs to be continued, then we should continue on to make it even bigger. What we’re doing now, we’re giving even more counseling and assistance where it’s needed, trying to get even more corporate sponsors to be able to get involved.”
According to Smith, RESTORE Belize, via the I Am Belize Scholarship Program helps students to achieve their academic goals so that they can move on to become productive citizens.
Christine Smith
“The I Am Belize Scholarship Program looks at your vision, what is it that you, as an individual, want to achieve and how is it that we at RESTORE Belize, through the Office of the Prime Minister, can assist you in achieving that goal.”
In supporting and expanding the program, P.M. Briceño says that it also fulfills the part of the Plan Belize Manifesto that deals with making quality education accessible to all.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“We need to see what is working and then build on that. It does not mean that we move away from our strategy, from our manifesto, and our manifesto in Plan Belize was to make education available to everyone, especially the ones that are at-risk kids. And so, this is in line with our manifesto and we continue to proudly support this program and we now need to work in making it even bigger and trying to get more kids to be able to participate.”
Isani Cayetano For News Five.
