Mexico offers scholarships to Belizeans
marcelino miranda
Mexico has long been a good neighbor of Belize when it comes to sharing in cultural and educational opportunities. Today Marcelino Miranda, the press officer for the Embassy of Mexico in Belize, says his government is offering fifteen scholarships to Belizeans in a variety of disciplines.
Marcelino Miranda, Press Officer, Embassy of Mexico
“The government of Mexico is offering fifteen scholarships to study at CONALEP, this is a technical, professional college in Mexico and it has many campuses around Mexico. So this is fifteen scholarships for Belizeans who want to apply for this scholarship. It includes tuition fees, monthly allowance and this is in conjunction with the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education pays for transportation to the campus for the applicant.”
Jose Sanchez
“Are these two years, four year scholarships?”
Marcelino Miranda
“Oh, this is a three year scholarship and they get in Mexico a technical professional degree. That would be like an associate degree and it’s a very good opportunity. This program is an agreement between CONALEP, Mexico and Belize. It has been running for almost ten years. It has been very successful. We have had more than a hundred scholarships given to Belizeans and actually one of the agreements has to sign with the government of Belize is that they have to come back to Belize. Those scholarships are intended for Belizeans to get a technical degree and then to come back and to contribute to the development of Belize.”
Jose Sanchez
“What are the popular areas that students want to apply in?”
Marcelino Miranda
“Actually, there’s a huge range of programs. There are forty degree programs that CONALEP is offering. There are four biological technical degrees, two information technology, there are also degrees related to electronics, electrical areas and also tourism and health.”
Miranda says that anyone interested in the scholarships should visit the embassy to apply. Applicants must have finished high school and a basic knowledge of Spanish is required.
Scholarship is one thing, when you get there is another. For the black student its a problem because in Mexico you are called the N word. If you complain you are ignored. This only works for the spanish kids. Sorry.
You should’ve asked him to describe the multicultural relations on their campus to assure Belizeans, especially black Belizeans, that they would feel comfortable at CONALEP. There have been complaints about discrimination against black Belizeans attending college in Mexico, specifically, Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas (UAT). One student even left UAT because of the discrimination he said he experienced there.
See Amandala: “Death of a dream”: Dangriga student alleges racism at Mexican university
http://www.amandala.com.bz/index.php?id=9042
“Andrew Mejia, a Garifuna student of Dangriga Town, alleges that the bureaucracy derailed his plans to earn a degree in veterinary medicine at the Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas (UAT).
But insult was added to injury by his reception in the northeastern Mexican state.
In a communication sent to Amandala on Tuesday, Mejia told us that from the moment he stepped on the campus on August 24 in Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, after traveling 50 hours from Dangriga, attempts to make himself at home were rebuffed by native Mexican students who called him racial names…”
Maybe the prime minister or one of the ministers could use this scholarship. thats what we really need.
i am a proud garifuna from PG. and it hurts me to see that my people have not grown up! why most we play the race card everytime? i went to earn my masters degree in mexico in marine biology and i did not have any discrimination done against myself or any of the other forgein students….. from jamiaca, dominica, trinidad….. and many more too long to mention. if any thing you are like a god in mexico with some rights that not even the own mexicans get. as for andrew he could not take the stress of being far from home… his wife and kid…. as well as the amount of study you have to put in. mexico is not a place where you get a “cracker jack” degree you have to work for it. have you drummy and Tyadia went to study in mexico to know what it is like… please think before you act….. i know andrew very well and he had to make up a reason for coming back or he would have lost his job at MOA. sorry andrew but people must know the truth about what happend….. when will my people wake up and see the light…. bob said it best no one can free you form mental slavery.
Couldn’t have said it better brethren red bouy…. and to Tyada & dummy… do you know how many black brethrens have studied in Mexico??? Of all the belizeans I know and met there..All the things they bring besides a high quality education are good memories, friendships and open minds..Except of course of lazy Andrew…Do you know the former director of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System.. Mr. Jacobs? Let winners tell you about their experiences in Mexico and not losers that use our race to rationalize their failure so as not to lose their face AND JOB!!! Iam black and proud and also studied in Mexico (Guanajuato), which by the way was one of the periods in my life I enjoyed the most. Like red bouy said, as a foreigner in a mexican university you are treated even BETTER than if you were a mexican…. IF of course you don’t go on there with an attitude or arrogance…or if you are Andrew Mejia!!! It really saddens me to see how some of us bite the helping hand to cover our mediocrity and low self esteem!! Brethrens… wake up and realize that we don’t do any good but rather only hurt our people when we use our race as an excuse to cover our mistakes, fears, low self esteem, failures in life or our plain laziness. Life is all about survival of the fittest – whether your are black, white, green or yellow. In life there are winners and losers… winners take challenges and balme only themselves for their falls,. but get up again while losers ALWAYS come with excuses for their failures…and stay down there rationalizing… right dummy?? to my fellow black brethren losers, don’t bother apply for the scholarship if you still have the chains of slavery around your brain and ARE a racist without realizing it!! To my fellow black winners, go for it, apply for the scholarship, take the challenge and get a quality education and a marvellous experience of a lifetime!!! And Tyada tell your hero Andrew that he was not and will not be the first black belizean to go to UAT…. I met a couple at the Bze embassy at Mexico City for the Sept celebrations.. Their version of “Andrew at UAT” was quite different of what he reported to the Amandala.. as a matter of fact one of those students sent a letter to the amandala (which of course our brother Hyde didn’t publish for obvious reason… brother Hyde is quite happy keeping us blacks under mental slavery) JAH be with all of us!!!
Red bouy I am so sorry to disagree with you but whether we claim it or not racism does exist and not only in Mexico but right here in Belize, just because YOU did not experience it does not mean it does not exist. You should thank the Lord you did not experience it but please do not dismiss what someone else experience because you are not in their skin and I am sure you were not with Andrew 24/7 so please only speak on your experience without dismissing what someone else experience. You may have a thicker skin than the other person and can take more than someone else or you may be more focus and have decided no matter what you will not let anything deter you from obtaining your education not everyone is that strong, some people racism does hurt and hurt deeply. I have personally experience racism right here in Belize and I am a Belizean and I have also experienced it in Mexico. I am well educated in racism because I grew up in the USA from the 60;s era so I recognize it and know how it feels. It hurts more when you experience it in your own country. Until you walk in someone else shoe please do not dismiss what they feel. Thank you very much.
red bouy, I agree with you 100% my bwai, life in a whole is not easy but we have to face it every single day without using the race card as a crutch to get by in our own mind. Some of us don’t have the opportunity to educate ourselves financially and some of those that get the opportunity complain and point there fingers at anyone. Just look around you at home and if you look very hard enough, you will find racism, just ask drummy. Blacks call themselves the “N” word and it’s ok and they get over it without any benefits, so what?. It is a Blessing that Mexico offer these scholorships to us the Belizean People. Stop b….h and start sacrifice for a your better future, even if you have to endure racisim or anything else. There’s a price for everything in life. Jesus Christ was rejected by his very own and was crucified for each and every one of us. That was the price he had to pay for our salvation, so stop whine and b….h to discourage other applicants from taking advantage of this opportunity Andrew. If you had your turn and you blew it because you couldn’t handle it, then shut the …. up, try it, silence is golden.
Surprisingly, I thought that everyone would be at least content that opportunities are being offered to Belizeans to better themselves and possibly contribute something positive back to Belize.
So there are incidents of racism in Mexican schools but do not condemn the entire country of being racist.
Racism exist in all walks of life, Belize is a racist county and has been from the beginning of time we just all accept it and sweep it under the rug.
When opportunities comes along for Belizeans to up lift themselves, or educate themselves not even racism should stand in the way of education. This is not the time to discourage people from getting smarter, Belize need smart educated people as leaders.
Bulba Martinez, there is no reason for you to be so darn ignorant and disrespectful, I would still like to believe that all the ignorant people of Belize are killing each other on the streets not in here.
In this life you teach people how to treat you, treat people with respect and they will treat you with respect, treat people with your ignorance and they will threat you the same.
Don’t let what you think destroy what you believe.
Very good discussion. Red buoy, if you read my comment carefully, you would’ve realized that I did not play the race card or side with Andrew.
I simply rehashed what I read in the media, and once those stories have been circulated, and people like me read them, the reporter should’ve have brought it up in the interview to address those concerns.
I didn’t say Andrew experienced discrimination, I said Andrew SAID that he experienced discrimination…
Now, I’m glad we brought it up on the forum because we get to hear the other side, and I appreciate that. Now I know both sides to this story. Thank you.
It is certainly a shame that the Amandala did not publish the positive experience of other black students at the University.
See? Now I have a different perspective on the situation.
Definately a good discussion. Both Red Buoy and Tyadia have relevant information. My contribution to this discussion is the following. As human beings, firstly we complain, it is natural. However, as Belizeans, no matter the ethnicity, we should take these educational opportubities to grow professionally life and in YOUR-EVERY-DAY LIFE! Be optimistic and ambitious and assist other fellow Belizean to achieve their educational goals!
At the same time though, Belize Boy, as Belizeans and human beings, we should demand the best for ourselves. When we identify a problem, we should address it. This way we can assist officials in higher education institutions at home or abroad, to take necessary steps to make the experience of their students better.
well my fellow belizeans.. like so dissapointed said..no one can talk for others experience.but for our own.. i am presently studying at merida conalep..and to tell you the truth there are good get along people but there are also discriminating ones too..but you have to manage to get along and focus on what you really want. think of it as a sacrifice for the future you are aiming for..remember no one’s better than another unless proved..let prove our selves better than them..lets us show them by ignoring them and show them we get the toppest of grades..yeah they dont like that,, but let them swallow that think of discriminating us but they are dummer than us…you can have my word on that….
listen there are scholarships. make anythign you want of scholarships but not excuses. life is hard, deal with it. scholarships don’t come everyday.
I’m wondering how these scholarships are made available to the masses…I am a Jr. College student and every time I hear of these scholarships it’s when they have already been given out. Down south we are always marginalized and only get to know of these opportunities on a “who you know basis”…then they are for “spanish speaking” so again…we down here are cut out 🙁
Bros and sisters no matter what our skin color the only way we will educate the average Mexican in his home country who has never met a dark skinned bro/sister is to educate them by letting them meet us and showing them how educated WE are. I have been to Mexico and genuinely studied there with one of these scholarships there were Belizean colored bros/sisters who even modeled there, yes there are racial difference comments but in the univ you will meet all manner of students some are educated some pretend to be just like here in Belize. But let us empower ourselves to educate the ignorant killing them with amiable educated attitude- the Belizean way…I encourage everyone to apply and to try it. God bless you.
Hi Concerned Grigalizean, i’m originally from girga too…and i sure ur going to Ecumenical , i went there too…you guys are not cut out…you’re making excuses again…there we go again… 1st i didn’t know spanish…and after i finish high school i knew how fu call it…basic spanish…not fluently but i knew how to get around….and you should know basic spanish when u finish high school, so don’t say it’s for “Spanish Speaking people”, 2nd you now know that Mexican Embassy is the place to apply, nothing hard fu mek u tek the initiative and call and check up every now and again when they will have more scholarships…. poor excuse to say you guys are left out…if ur serious and want to get an education, you’ll try any means and ways to be informed and know what’s going on. So don’t try to blame this and that or make excuses. Stand up and help yourself too…
Nuff Respect…
Well Well Well, even though the discussion is good and healthy i am shock that we as Belizeans whatever our color might be are ready to jump and judge Andrew for what he said he went through. I am of Hispanic descent and i know Andrew very well and if any of you knew him like how i do then all those negative remarks would not exists. I am positve that whatever he said he went through definately happened. He wouldn’t lie about things like that, trust mi. He didn’t even mentioned all that happened to him in the newpaper only what he wanted you all to read, there is much more to this story that meets the ears. I think we should learn to accept that racism does exists around the world and also here in Belize. So Red Bouy and Rasta4forever needs to shut up and stop being naive.
Respect to Andrew
hey,
last yaer i was given a scholarship to study in conalep. at first its very difficult, because you are alone, without your parents…but then you get used to it. i enjoy going to chool because mexicans are very friendly, they ask a lot of questions about belize, they like to listen when i sing the abc song…or when i count…etc…however next year i’ll be finishig my studies in conalep and i would like to continue studing in a university here in mexico, so i would like to know if the mexican together with belizean government can continue supporting me with a scholarship?