Ministry of Human Development Responds to BAPDA’s Concerns for Further Funding

In an interview on Wednesday with Kenrick Theus, the President of the Belize Association for People with Diverse Abilities (BAPDA), he informed us that the association receives twelve hundred dollars from the Government of Belize on a monthly basis. He noted that the amount is woefully insufficient and an insult to the work of the association. Theus called on the government to make more funds available to the association. Well, Dolores Balderamos Garcia, the Minister of Human Development, says that she has heard Theus’ plea. Here is what she told us.

Dolores-Balderamos Garcia

Dolores-Balderamos Garcia, Minister of Human Development

“Remember that the government is willing to give more help, but the government cannot do everything. So we are calling on churches, we’re calling on communities; we’re calling on friendly organizations and societies to assist us.

As Mr. Theus pointed out yesterday twelve hundred dollars a month is, it’s paltry. What we will try to do is to, is to do referrals so that there can be attention to the organization in terms of outreach, because I cannot just sit here and say we will double or triple or quadruple, the money being given all of a sudden because there are so many needs in terms of the social programs and also the responsiveness. Of course, we will look at it to see if we can. More assistance financially, but remember that the money is not everything. The update is that it’s at the mechanic, you know and because there are some problems with the ramp and the lift. Now, I have given instruction, that having come to my attention. If it is a difficulty that that particular mechanic cannot deal with, we’ll have to move, we’ll have to move to somebody else who can fix the problem, because we shouldn’t have the disability bus down for two to three weeks. So I, again, I have to admit, and lately I have, I, as I have said to the gathering this morning, lately I’ve been full of apologies. But it is because it is highlighting the needs that are there.”