Children absent from school and join protest line

Two point seven million dollars is owed to Belize Maintenance Limited. Its employees have been demonstrating in front of City Hall for days on end and still there appears to be no resolution in sight. City Hall is financially broke and has been unable to come up with an acceptable payment plan. Those who have been left jobless are pulling their children out of school. Jose Sanchez reports on the continued crisis at City Hall.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting
Today marks day nine of the protest staged by the workers of Belize Maintenance Limited who were sent home because the company could not collect on monies owed by the City Council. The protest began last Monday and since the workers are out of a job, their bills have mounted and the crisis is now affecting the lives of their children, some of whom are now out of school.

Jose Sanchez
“Why are you and your mother out here today?”

Betty Ramirez, Out of School
“Money, money fi buy my shoes and my bag.”

Jose Sanchez
“If your ma noh get ih money how dat wah affect you dah school? I no know, my ma need ih money.”

Basilia Crisanto, Potestor
“Me bring my family second, need my salary. It got me kids to maintain, got me house to pay, ih got mi light bill, ih got me water bill, ih got lot of bills to pay. We no get fi we money to pay fi we bill. We no wah give up they take all we money.”

Jose Sanchez
“If you don’t get the money what happens to your kids?”

Basilia Crisanto
“Continue total in the school. Right now no pay in the school fees yet.”

Jose Sanchez
“What school do your kids to?”

Basilia Crisanto
“Bethel; Primary school Bethel.”

Jose Sanchez
“So your kids are out of school because you can’t afford it.”

Basilia Crisanto
“Can’t afford five. We got five and I need fi we salary to continue everything.”

Jose Sanchez
“If you had message to send to city council what would it be?”

Ines Jimenez, Protestor
“One cheque is not enough, we need to get the rest.”

Hilda McKoy, Protestor
“One four years daughter.”

Jose Sanchez
“How are you managing to support that child.”

Hilda McKoy
“Ih no deh with me, ih deh wid ih grand madda. Dehn di pay school fees but I no have nothing fi give yah. I really want my money fi help with my lee daughter. I out ah door. I have lot ah bills fi pay and people di rush me down fi dehn money. I really need fi dehn come up wid something cause I really frustrated mista…out ah door. People noh want—I give them half the money I get yesterday but dehn noh satisfy wid it and if I noh pay dehn all, I wah out ah door. I no have no way to stay, right now they wah put me on the street. I frustrated mista. Mek dah woman up deh come up with something.”

Virginia Rivera, Protestor
“I’m supporting my husband because he’s making sure he gets paid. I’m making an appeal to her to have a heart. We have kids; five of them. We don’t have money and we can’t buy anything for them. The school has asked for things that we cannot buy them because we do not have any money.”

Jose Sanchez
“Are you fearing then that at some point we might see more kids out here?”

Jeffery Trapp, Supervisor, B.M.L.
“Yes I believe so because some of them are coming out of school. They are not going to school. Some of them don’t have anything to eat. The plans of the poor people have been disrupted. That’s why we’re crying out on the Prime Minister to step in and do something about this. The Association of Concerned Belizeans, where are these people? And the union? And even other protestors out there who is against these kind of people. This is not a one time event. This is something that’s been happening for years. It’s only that it has come to this point. Somebody needs to step in and show some mercy.”

Until someone or some organization steps in, more kids will be stepping out of class and onto the picket line. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.