Hockey player’s UNICEF sponsored journey to Belize

The challenges and issues faced by Belize’s children and youths are numerous… and for decades UNICEF has been trying to improve those conditions, not only in Belize but around the world. On Monday, Country Representative Rana Flowers was a guest on Open Your Eyes and reports that funding for UNICEF’s activities come from all over the world. One of those countries who have contributed to efforts in Belize is the Czech Republic, which prompted a visit from Patrik Elias. In addition to being a hockey player for the New Jersey Devils, Elias, originally from the Czech Republic is that country’s Good Will Ambassador to UNICEF and in September, he and his wife, made a trip to Belize to see firsthand the work of the organization. Here’s a portion of a documentary Elias did on his visit.

Patrik Elias UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Czech Republic
“We were heading out to Aguacate Village in the Toledo District and the Toledo District is the most affected by poverty. We were pleased to go to the village that the Czech UNICEF person was involved in here, excited to see the difference that we make.”

Rana Flowers, Representative, UNICEF Belize
“Today we went with Patrik to a village called Aguacte. It’s a village in the Toledo District of Belize, which is in the south of the country. It’s a small three hundred people village. It’s a village where we have been able to do some work on the toilet situation; the fact they didn’t have functioning toilets and do some hygiene training with the families and with the schools. The villagers, when we sat with them we asked them they would like to make a difference in their village for children and given the fact that all the children are infested with parasites, they felt that building pens to coral their pigs would be the first thing that they would like to do. So we’ve helped them do that and we’ve built around fifty-five pig pens.”

Patrik Elias
“That was the first thing that they wanted to show us; that they don’t have the pigs running around and spreading diseases. It’s just great to see that little things like that will make a huge impact on their lives and that makes a difference.”

Narrator
For lunch, Patrik and the group are invited to help prepare a traditional Mayan specialty called “caldo”. This midday meal typically consists of a spicy broth with chicken and fresh tortillas.

Petra Elias, Patrik’s Wife
“I was surprised that he was cooking and preparing tortillas. I think that he really enjoyed it.”

The key to keeping Mayan traditions like caldo alive is passing them on to the children. To assist in that cause, UNICEF enrolled the Aguacate RC School and its students into its Intercultural Bilingual Education Program.

Anita Zetina, Program Coordinator, UNICEF Belize
“Normally, what happens in Belize is that children, they come with their first language to school and then we teach in English. So we have drop out rates, we have repetition higher because English is not their first language. So what UNICEF is promoting in villages like these is to have that intercultural, bilingual education in order to contribute in to a reduction in repetition and drop out rates so that children will begin learning in their language and then move slowly into the English language. And to their culture, keep their traditions together which is important for them and for us as a country.”

Keeping the traditions and culture of their ancestors alive is a vital part of every successful community.

Luis Cucul, Principal, Aguacate RC School
“Some of the traditions, many of these traditions are dying so I still feel like we should revive that. To get the children from Aguacate school to learn it so that they can say okay yes, I learn this and pass it on to another person.”

Patrik Elias
“They may be poor, they may be living in poverty, but they’re not unhappy. They try and bond with each other. It’s really great to see that even with the conditions they’re living in that they keep their spirits up and they’re just happy.”

“In the village Aguacate, seeing the kids around and just happy and seeing how little they need to change their lives for the better. It’s great to see that they have come a long way.”

Rana Flowers
“In the people, there is the sense that with some ideas and some passion I can make a difference in their own communities. They start to identify what they want and where they want to see change and UNICEF and other organizations can help them do that. So they really have taken more control of their own growth.”

Patrik Elias
“Coming here we’ve already seen some of the projects that’s being done here and the improvements so we’re very happy about it. Thank you for having us.”