C.D.B. donors get first hand look at local projects

On Tuesday we offered a preview of a meeting to be held this week by members of the Caribbean Development Bank. And while the official gathering opened this morning, on Wednesday News Five’s Marion Ali traveled with the delegates to see first hand how the bank’s funding has influenced the lives of ordinary Belizean.

Marion Ali, Reporting
The delegates hail from the C.D.B.’s twenty-six member countries from the Caribbean, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, the People’s Republic of China, the U.K., Italy, Canada and Germany. They are here to inspect the bank’s projects that have been carried out under the local implementing agency, the Social Investment Fund and Basic Needs Trust Fund, with monies from the bank’s Special Development Fund and Wednesday’s tours focused mainly on educational projects in western Belize.

Oscar Alonzo, Executive. Dir., S.I.F., Basic Needs Trust Fund
“The Caribbean Development Bank provides two types of funding; one is grants and one is loans. The Basic Needs Trust Fund provides grants to the Government of Belize, which in turn are transferred to the communities as grants for water systems—the Basic Needs Trust Fund provide grants and this is used to build schools, water systems, health posts, rural roads and so on. But then the bank also provides loans which the Government borrows on soft terms, concessionary terms and the reason for this meeting that is being carried out this week is to try to get the donors to see first hand what is being done with their money so that they can replenish the Special Development Fund.”

Dr.Compton Bourne, President, C.D.B.
“We’re approaching the end of the current cycle of that same Special Development Programme and the Basic Needs Trust Fund that goes with it. It’s a four-yearly cycle and we want to start the round of negotiations for the new cycle, for the seventh S.D.F. So we felt that it would be good for the contributors to the previous cycle, the S.D.F. six to come to Belize to see what was being done with the resources of the fund, donor countries and to speak to the beneficiaries themselves.”

Two of those past beneficiaries were Buena Vista and New Life Primary Schools in the Cayo District. While they have received new school buildings from the Bank, their needs continue to grow.

Ben Menjibar, Principal, Buena Vista Primary School
“A new building, a one flat we’re talking about and so on with very good foundation, kitchen, a library, a principal’s office so that we can have conferences and so and the buildings we’re looking forward to will be the ones with the metal curtains for multi-purpose functions. That’s what we’re looking for.”

Jorge Uck, Principal, New Life Government School
“Overall we need an expansion so we could have our own computer lab, technology for better access of information to the students and also a water system would be of good use to us because sometimes there’s no water so we have to find ways to get water.”

And whether that school finds water will depend on whether the C.D.B. finds funding.

Dr. Compton Bourne
“We are hopeful that in our replenishment we have the means to do additional work to finance many more projects in Belize. As to whether it will be extensions of existing projects or new projects will have to be something decided in conjunction with the Belizean authorities because, as you would appreciate, in the development context there are many, many needs.”

Oscar Alonzo
“Generally we have an application form, a page and a half application form which they fill out and they send in their request. We review it because there is a menu of eligible projects that can be considered for funding. As long as it falls within that menu and we have the funding available then we can proceed to further investigate.”

Belmopan’s United Evergreen Primary was also one of those the successful applicants from the Bank’s last cycle.

Pamela Neal, Principal, United Evergreen Primary
We add a resource room where we cater to children with reading difficulties. We have a pullout system where we go to the resource room every hour. We have a computer room and in 2006 we had an additional which is the Special Education Centre that caters to children with special needs.”

Marion Ali
“But the C.D.B’s projects are not confined to only helping youths who are academically inclined. The I.T.VET facilities are evidence that the banking institution also lends a hand to youths who feel their future lies in vocational technical education.”

Kenroy Banner, Electrical Student, I.T.VET, Cayo
“I end up yah because I come outta first form dah Eden and I decide I wah come eena electrical because I want learn dis trade. Just that.”

Marion Ali
“How come you come outta wah formal setting. You decided that yoh never want study academics, that you mi want do skills better?”

Kenroy Banner
“Yeah, I mi want learn wah trade and learn more things bout life and so, like how fi wire house. When I get older wah could wire my own house. I noh wah need fi get nobody fi do mines and less money and so.”

Marion Ali
“How ih di fare off so far. Yoh like weh yoh di learn?”

Kenroy Banner
“Yeah, I like this trade.”

Brisieda Saljuero, Hospitality Student, I.T.VET, Cayo
“No regrets, actually I have had a pretty good experience here at CET. In my level one, we did nine months theory, one month in job training. I went to San Pedro and for graduation I got hired to work at Maya Mountain Lodge and Tours and I worked for a couple months then I made my mind and came back to level two. I got sponsored by the Resort that hired me.”

Underprivileged and at-risk youths who have benefited from the Bank’s funding are those of the National Youth Cadet Corp in Gracie Rock Village.

Sandra McClaren, Prog. Coordinator, Nat’l Youth Cadet Corps
“The dorms we had before were dilapidated, they were overcrowded, and these donors we have here today have invested their money to give us this new building which is much more comfortable, more management and control of our young people it gives us.”

The programme also has Jenny Baizar hope that when her son, fourteen year old Shakedi Humes, passes out in June, he will return home a better youth.

Jenny Baizar, Mother of Cadet
“I have lotta confidence eena di programme and with the improvement with my son and thing I am happy and a proud parent fi have my child attending this programme here at the Youth Cadet Corp.”

Marion Ali
“Have you seen any marked improvements?”

Jenny Baizar
“I see a lot of improvement especially eena ih education and ih behaviour. He didn’t know how to read but now ih know fi read. Ih improve wah lot eena ih reading. Ih have wah lot ah discipline. Like when ih used to deh home you’d hear ah with Yes Ma’am, yes sir, you know? First ih used to yes, no.”

Marion Ali
“But while the National Youth Cadet Corp has been instrumental in transforming the lives of hundreds of Belizean youths, there have also been many more who have entered through these gates and have not completed the two year programme.”

Sandra McClaren
“One of the things we’ve noticed, some of them come here and after a while want to work because of their economical condition and so what we do is we don’t release them out of the programme just as that but we facilitate them in getting jobs or to go to another institution.”

Marion Ali
“And then others are actually taken home because the families miss them?”

Sandra McClaren
“Yes, some miss their families and the separation is too much for them.”

Marion Ali
“But are the gates open if they want to re-enter?”

Sandra McClaren
“Oh yes, we’ve had young people left and come back into the programme.”

And this is why the National Cadet Corps, like the other projects visited will today submit requests for additional assistance, in the belief that you can never have too much of a good thing. Reporting for News Five, Marion Ali.

C.D.B. President Dr. Compton Bourne presented computers to Evergreen Primary and New Life Government School.