Belize Defence Force’s summer camp for champs

ganney dortch

There are numerous summer camps taking place around the country for kids, but one coveted camp is the Belize Defence Force’s annual program that caters for just about every child’s interest. Hundreds participate each year in the wide array of activities which are sponsored by the Ministry of Defence. B.D.F. Chief of Staff, Lieutenant Colonel Ganney Dortch says that along with teaching discipline and teamwork, their aim is to mentor the youngsters and help develop them into productive and responsible adults.

Lt. Col. Ganney Dortch, Chief of Staff, B.D.F.

“This year we’re catering for kids across the country of Belize ranging from ages eight through eighteen and what we have planned for this year is camps that will focus on cooking, driving, painting, football or sports, construction, aviation, boatmanship, introduction to computer and computer repair and also we have the expedition camps which caters for kids that will come to spend ten days with us in the Cayo district and in Toledo District.”

Delahnie Bain

“What is the goal of having all these different areas for them to participate in?”

Lt. Col. Ganney Dortch

“Well, as part of the Ministry of Defence initiative where they look at how to better foster youths and look at how to better develop their initiatives and to steer them in the right direction. They thought that it is important to give them that platform from which they can venture into a productive adulthood. So the camp aims at looking at how we can mentor kids into being better productive citizens as it relates to using their energy in a more positive and constructive way. So we’re saying that effort, courage and determination times two will put them in the right direction as it relates to bringing back Belize to what it once use to be.”

The camps run from July nineteenth to August thirteenth.