Rural communities benefit from European Union
The European Union, through the Belize Rural Development Programme, has as its aim to reduce rural poverty while improving the livelihood hood of thousands of Belizeans. News Five’s Ann-Marie Williams found out today that the organisation is providing close to two million dollars for rural communities.
Ann-Marie Williams, Reporting
The European Union through the Belize Rural Development Programme this morning presented funding to a little under two million dollars to three organisations in the rural communities in Belize and the Stann Creek Districts.
The University of Belize received nine hundred thousand dollars to set up twenty-two I.T. centres and refurbish eight, all to be located in rural Belize. The Crooked Tree Water Supply stands to improve living and working conditions for residents through community work wroth over three hundred thousand dollars while the Stann Creek Rural Development project, headed by Citrus Growers Association’s Chief executive, Bridget Cullerton has a challenge on its hand; to make the lives of growers better with a seven hundred thousand dollar grant at a time when citrus prices are plummeting and the cost of outputs become increasingly expensive. Cullerton is urging growers to diversify.
Bridget Cullerton, C.E.O., Citrus Growers Assn.
“Our particularly growers and particularly small growers and particularly in the rural areas of our country can’t find it viable in anymore agriculture alone and so this programme today that we had applied for and gratefully, we have been approved to do is to help with the economic viability of the rural poor in the Stann Creek District but not just for citrus growers but literally for all the people in that area.”
And for all people in that southern Stann Creek area, the E.U. grant couldn’t have come at a better time.
Bridget Cullerton
“Literally, ninety percent of our own offices were devastated and of course, all the families around our area and some adjoining areas are also affected. They also happen to be rural areas of the Stann Creek District which these funds will directly affect now. And so it’s certainly a very timely kind of implementation process we’re in right now. In fact, some of the people who have been affected have already come to ask me about being a part of this programme as soon as we’re able to get it off the ground.”
The E.U. programme has become the biggest grant donor in Belize and its Deputy National Authorising Officer is encouraging all organisations to make use of the opportunity to improve living standards, especially in the rural areas.
Katherine Mendez, Deputy N.A.O., Ministry of Economic Dev.
“In total over one hundred villages from the Rio Hondo to the Sarstoon have received support from B.R.D.P. To date, B.R.D.P. has invested in projects affecting the livelihoods of about eight hundred and forty-four rural families and in the next two years this figure will increase to at least four thousand families. Such investments will go a long way to improve their infrastructure, entrepreneurship and technologies in whatever enterprise they choose all with the goal of increasing the income and gainful employment of poor rural families.”
The official grant signing took place at the University of Belize’s conference room at the faculty of Management and Social Sciences in the city.
Ann-Marie Williams for News Five.
