A Donation of Paints from Global Paint for Charity Inc.

The diaspora plays an extremely important role in our country and on Thursday, Erica Antoinette Castillo Slaton of Ignite Belize, who is a Belizean living in Atlanta and an active member of the Belizean diaspora, joined the Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora Relations to secure up to four hundred thousand dollars worth of paints for Belize from the Global Paint for Charity Inc.  Through Slaton’s project, “Painting A Brighter Future for Our Children,” four thousand, five hundred gallons of recycled paint were donated with a pledge to paint schools, government buildings, and homes. The goal of the project is to uplift communities and stimulate innovation through color.

Erica-Antoinette Castillo Slaton, Ignite Belize

“I am excited to be in front of you to share resources that will touch the lives of thousands of Belizeans. Ignite Belize Paint a Brighter Future for our Children is a very important project that is close to my heart. The goal is to move and inspire our children. We want to intentionally stimulate their minds to be innovative so they can ignite Belize and build our nation right here. The paint donation is being made in honor of my father, Eric Anthony Castillo Senior. My father is a native of Dangriga, Belize and he was a primary school teacher in the early 1970’s.”

Sandhya Murphy

Sandhya Murphy, Ambassador for Diaspora Relations

“Miss Slaton had done another donation with us earlier this year, a hundred thousand dollars in medical supplies and equipment and the process was so easy for her, not having to deal with all the logistics and we took care of that for her. She was happy to come back to us and say I have this donation can you assist and we were happy to do it. Just being able to assist with that part of the donation with the logistics that brought home five hundred thousand dollars in donation. We also have been working with Belize Freight, that’s a Belize business in the U.S. and they have been extremely generous with their time and services and this is how they are giving back to Belize. So they make that process with the logistics easier for us because of what they are willing to do.”

The paint was officially handed over Rony Delgarde, C.E.O. of Global Paint for Charity Inc. to Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations Anthony Mahler.  Also present were C.E.O. Nicole Solano, Mayor Robert Mariano of Dangriga and Director of Tourism Evan Tillett. The Diaspora Relations Unit will oversee the distribution of paint countrywide.