Harmonyville’s 800 applicants get an acre in planned community
The Belize Grass Roots Youth Empowerment Association has been in the media spotlight on several occasions lately. The group organized a protest in Belmopan after the death of a teacher and basketball player Aubrey Lopez. The Belmopan residents also conducted symposiums in the capital and in Belize City about finding solutions to crime. BGYEA’s current push is about land and land rights. Years ago the youths in the group found it difficult to purchase land, however illegal immigrants who squatted on land eventually got titles for those parcels. The group has lobbied the government to reacquire the land between miles forty-one and forty-two on the Western Highway, which was owned by a number of Asian nationals. Now that they have one thousand three hundred acres of land for Harmonyville, BGYEA has announced the names of the people who have been given approval to settle in the area.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
The Belize Grassroots Youth Empowerment Association has organized the development of an abandoned parcel of land on the Western Highway and called it Harmonyville. BIGYEA’s President Nigel Petillo recently received approval from the government to issue 800 lots to its applicants.
Nigel Petillo, President, Belize Grassroots Youth Empowerment
nigel petillo
Association
“Our list have been published, the eight hundred names that was approved by the government, due to by way of criteria that were requested for each individual. Out of the three thousand seven hundred people, we have managed to select eight hundred land owners now and back that list is available. You could go to Facebook, search Harmonyville@gmail.com, yo weh find di list deh, eight hundred strong names di deh. The plan here is Sunday we’ are inviting the general public to come out at mile forty-one on the western highway, yo can’t miss it, Sunday at ten o’ clock. Not only the eight hundred even the three thousands other people, who dah members so far, who have supporting not because they want wah piece ah land but because they see this as something good for the people. We want the advice of those people. We inviting you people to come out. We inviting the Mennonite community, we want some advising. We want to build a relationship with Mennonite communities Springfield, Barton Creek, Spanish Lookout. We love the way those people have been living. Those are crime free communities. So we want the advice of those people. We have put together a five year plan. We have a five year strategic plan that we have put together with a timeframe and everything, indicating to us where we are, where we need to go, and what’s the next step. Right now we are at the point where we need to raise funding for the surveying and the infrastructure in Harmonyville. We need to be able to say, ok well Jose this is you piece, your one acre, de peg deh represent your piece deh. Dat dah weh we di work pan right now. In the initial stages our plan is to solicit that funding. We di look fu people wit heart out deh. People wid vision. This is good thing. This is for the people who need assistance like this.”
Cadet Henderson Junior unveiled the map and explained the composition of Harmonyville, where each resident will get one acre of land to build a home.
Cadet Henderson Jr., Harmonyville
“This is the western highway, going to Belmopan to Belize. We have 2 parks, 2 educational area. Basically another education area is going to be in the farming cooperative area, which is one hundred fifty acres, about eight hundred lots, about fifty commercial all lots situated in the front. We have a police station, fire station, health center, a huge parking area for businesses. We have a nice buffer zone to reduce any kind of traffic accident or whatever. We have lotta natural creeks and so running through the property. We have the Beaver Dam Creek, which run basically along this area. And the bridge ridge right up ahead, cemetery.”
Jose Sanchez
BIGYEA is now a land developer, you now have a community proposed, you mentioned community spirit. I noticed on your map you also have an area of communal farm land, how does that work?
Nigel Petillo, President, Belize Grassroots Youth Empowerment Association
“By having a cooperative we can tap into financial assistance, international assistance, NGO’s, the government assistance. People deh out deh weh want si people farming. People deh out deh weh want si dat a nation productive when it comes to farming. So we believe that hrough the cooperative, you who have your one acre holding as well, we gonna be educating on how to produce your products what products to produce, we want to tap into the export market as well and the cooperative is going to help you by you products if your having a problem selling you products, we’re gonna by the excess product that you’ll probably have. You by being a resident of Harmonyville, you have actual rights to be a member of the coop. The coop has set aside a hundred fifty acres, somewhat, of land to produce agricultural products in Harmonyville. That can be a means of income for Harmonyville as a community.”
But Harmonyville, even in its planning stage has room for expansion.
Cadet Henderson Jr., Harmonyville
“We’re planning to expand into the other acres, for those who may be disappointed that their name neva show up on this list. We still have unu in mind, guys unu just bare patience wid wi, everything come in due season. BGYEA.”
Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.
On Sunday, the public is invited to attend the Harmonyville meeting at mile forty-one.
I seriously think these guys play Farmville on facebook way too much!!!
i need to know how do you apply for these land.
I searched for the list of the applicants that was approved an acre of land but the list doesnt appear. Can you email me the list
One acre is enough for a house and a small garden for fruits and vegetables. Each plot should produce something to sell.
i really like the news on this, rather have my belizean brothers hold a piece of the jewwel of ours than immigrants who just take over land with no land applications. Nice fight for your rights brothers.
Proud of these guys! It’s about time the afro-Belizean community reached out to the Mennonites for advice. This is what HARMONY is all about.
I have one question how many people out of this 800 already have a piece of land somwhere else in the country that the BGYEA dont know about. Was that something they look at when picking these people? Did they check to make sure that the ones that go pick don’t have land in their name already somewhere else in belize. Because it would be a shame to know that some of them do and the other 2000 and so that did’nt get pick are left out .
Rich,
Nigel Petillo of BGYEA told Jules Vasquez about that process in this interview:
Follow the link for the story.
http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=17113&frmsrch=1
Here’s an excerpt:
Nigel Petillo”
“Starting from number one Jules, we notice let’s say the first name is Juan Carlos, we check Juan Carlos name with the Government system information that was made possible to us to see if Juan Carlos have other land in his name because we are trying to make sure that these land goes to first time land owners. So when we saw that Juan Carlos have a land already we put him off on the side for now to make way for a new land owner, somebody that can build a house, a family.”
GREAT brethren….. get out of the damn city and do some farming in that land… that’s waht we need to do ….. let’s plant rather than kill us all!! Congrats brethren….
BIGYEA!!!!! GOOD JOB GUYS…
Congrats Brothers,U guys mek me proud . Bout time fi step up !!! Work on a plan fu raise unu own capital if possible.
Big up BGYEA!!!! Your moves and ideas are like a breath of fresh air coming outa di Jewel!
If Nigel is whose Son I think he is, then i know where the brain storm originated and got it’s roots. As for Cadet Jr. I worked alongside his Old man at the Min. of Works Cadet Sr. One word………Brilliant!!!! The guava dont normally fall far from the tree , people, therefore BGYEA is in good hands…………. FORWARD!!!!!!!!!!
Great job Belize Grass Roots Youth Empowerment Association!
Great job guys! I’m very proud of your efforts!
i notice the list has alot of namesthat already own a piece of land or maybe two. kinda disappointing cause it wasfor first time land owners. anyway need to review the list bethren.. good job thou for a good fight for belizean … noone did it the way you all did and some of us are complaining that we are legalizing squatiing.. however if we dont do something people then who will do it for us… how can you the ones complianin sit back and see the the government give your piece of jewel to the aliens and big darn pieces of land. kudos bgyea good luck.. continue the good fight. the government are just people too like us . xcept they think they are gods
Now there needs to be a MASTER PLAN…….. Every plot of land must PRODUCE SOMETHING to SELL!!!!!
I agree with luo it is disappointing to see people who already own a piece a land or two names to be up their I had faith in you guys but i don’t anymore. Also husband and wives are getting separately and whats even more disturbing is the fact that people who aren’t even living in the country names up there I could call names but I won’t right now. I wonder how they could have signed up I guessyou need to check the list again Nigel or are u looking after your own like everyone else.
Is not this something similar to what the Mayas have done in Toledo, in that they wanted land and fought for it until the gov’t was forced to listen ( except they didn’t go to court ). More groups of Belizeans should join together and take back some of the real estate owned by foreigners and never used. Good job Belizeans, at long lost it seems you are starting to fight for your rights.
i was looking for the list that is approve why u no put the list that have, that we no were we stand
or u no want nobody to no who get and who no get nothing deh fe hide
I mi know the …. bad spirit was going to possessed Nigel Petillo, listen to weh I know, couple who are in common law union are getting separate land, imagine two pieces of land for one family, then I understand that some of these people already own land in other vliiages, bway Nigel I am dissapinted on you, but I knew it would happen again, again and again, corruption corruption, like all a dem!!1
Hope it vegetable and fruits are planted and not WEED GANGA!!!!!!
Macal, stop being so negative. No matter how good a system is, people will find ways of getting around it. It is very difficult for Nigel or anytbody to know who the applicants are and if their spouse is also applying. It seems like you have a personal agenda against Nigel.
I doubt these youngmen are getting paid to be doing all this work and arrangements for this community. They put in time, gas for trevelling, food etc. Instead of saying negative things, maybe you should encourage their initiative. You could even join them to ensure that their is transparency.
And if they decide to plant Weed Ganga, leave it for the authorities to deal with. Be positive!
mek a tell u somthing jose chacon, I no di be negative I just the watch the samething happen with red blue and now BGYEA, all da fi dem close freinds and relatives, the maya down south they have fi them own country now, this yea BGYEA da fi dem own freind and relatives, I could beth you dat, weh happen to we the black and white zebras of this country. hmm who wen fight fi we, tell me, you musy get wan piece a land thats why you di bark like wan pot licker, but guess what as long I can see it’s not fair you will read my comments, to you it may sound negative, but to me is for real, real, you check weh I mean man!!!!
I think macal rivera just jealous, old and bitta, you neva hear the song from Bob Marley say Stand up for your rights, what you mean who will fight for you, fight for yourself man, walk the walk, no just whine and talk, I no get no land so no think I the “bark like wan pot licker”. you the cry like one injured one though.
Jose chacon, macal is not being negative she is only adressing this situation as she sees it. petillo began something a few months ago and gave some Belizeans hope that they would finally owned a piece of land. the land has been issued out and some people received no land simply because other people received two parcels of land from petillo, this is something worth being pissed off about.
petillo need to go back over his list and take back some of that land from people with two parcels of land and give it to people without land, because that is what his fight was all about, right. “Land for everyone”.
Any idiot can see that it is the same way things are done with the real politicians in Belize, and then petillo is doing the same thing how can the people of belize seperate the good from the bad here.
Macal, there you go wrong again. I have my own piece of this jewel and my own house that I have paid for. I dont beg nor follow politicians to get their meager crumbs. I worked for the Government of Belize for 10 years and decided it was time to move on…and move on I have.
I admire the work these guys are doing and believe that such problems you and maddyvandijk speak of could be avoided by proper supervision.
On the Maya issue, I see you really got it all wrong. The ruling by the CJ assured the Mayas “their rights to customary land tenure”. Basically, they still have to pay taxes on these lands, and pay for them like anybody else. BUT government cant issue the land to be exploited for oil and other minerals like they have given the whole country in concessions.
Get your facts right.
I think its a wonderful plan,and i hope i get a piece of the action.
I too have searched for the list of approved applicants on facebook harmonyville@gmail.com but cannot locate it unless it has been removed, i am interested in getting a copy of this list. i would be appreciate very much if you could email a copy to me.
One piece, 2 pieces, come on!! Nigel is doing a good thing here. Support your fellow Belizean. Like someone said, get involved – offer your services, no matter how small. He put the word out for people to come and advise, anyone. Go to the meetings. One person can’t do it all. This is a monstrous project. Mistakes will be made. Move past them and see how they can be fixed.
You guys are doing such a great job looking after our belizeans. Just a reminder a promise i will keep that you all have my support.