YFF & Community Policing Unit receive computers from SIF

The resource centers at Youth for the Future and the Community Policing Unit can now accommodate more youths. It’s all thanks to a gift of over thirty-three thousand dollars in computers and related equipment that were handed over this morning by the Social Investment Fund. SIF has been supporting programs at both facilities, particularly a training course to get young people into the online job market.  A total of sixteen desktop computers were donated to boost the program and according to Douglas Hyde at the Community Policing Unit, they are already seeing the benefits of the project.

Douglas Hyde, Youth Program Coordinator, Community Policing Unit

Douglas Hyde

“Today through the Social Investment Fund, we received eight desktop computers, laptops, projectors and also digital cameras to advance the training when it comes to the in-house computer training programs. Of course, we’re very excited and grateful of Social Investment Fund, which has supported us from the time we became involved in this program; also the young persons because we know now that we move to a different level.”

Delahnie Bain

“I know the training started back in October; how has the program been progressing?”

Douglas Hyde

“Very much exciting too, especially for the young persons. We have a couple of them who have literally gained some jobs onsite, we have couple of them who have extended their performance, we have one web page developer who has received several jobs himself and also we have young persons who have gained job opportunities outside of the computer program. so we’ve seen how that blossomed and I guess that is what motivates Social Investment Fund to extend the program itself and the whole discussion is now that we continue to monitor these success so we could extend it to the country on a whole.  The public relations officer for Odesk in America—Washington—has communicated with me last year and early this year. He said that he read the documentary that you guys carried and also he was interested how Belize was doing and even that he wanted to commit himself that he wants to support us in this whole process. So we’ve been dialoguing with Odesk internationally to see how we can enhance the program.”

While the program is expected to go countrywide, Hyde says youths from the Hattieville and Cayo branches have already expressed interest in the program and they are currently in discussions to organize training courses in those areas.