Determined educators are top Caribbean heroes
Call it luck, call it coincidence, call it whatever you want, but one thing is clear: Belize all but owns the annual regional competition called Unsung Heroes. News Five’s Janelle Chanona has the latest chapter in this remarkable success story.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
This afternoon the founders of the Tubal Training and Vocational Institute, Lyndon and Lavern Bailey, were officially honoured as the 2007 Regional Unsung Heroes by First Caribbean International Bank. As part of their prize package, the Baileys received a cheque for fifteen thousand dollars and will be recognized at a similar ceremony in Barbados next year.
Stephen Duncan, Country Manager, FirstCaribbean International Bank
“Every year we seek out the ordinary man or woman who has exhibited that determination to make a difference in the lives of others.”
And unequivocally, the Baileys have made that difference. In 2001, at much personal sacrifice, Lyndon and Lavern established the Tubal Institute to offer secondary education to underprivileged children. With the support of their dedicated staff and the Government of Belize, today the school has an enrolment of one hundred and one young men and women who are learning skills in subjects like electrical service, auto mechanics and catering and hospitality.
Lavern Bailey, 2007 Regional Unsung Hero
“I would like to thank everyone that is here this evening, most of all I’d like to thank the Lord for putting the vision in my husband and for giving us the strength to carry it out.”
Lyndon Bailey, 2000 Regional Unsung Hero
“I cried because my heart is filled that what I’m doing for you kids it’s what somebody had done for me in the past.”
As he accepted his award, Bailey admitted that today’s recognition has been one of his dreams for the school.
Lyndon Bailey
“This morning I wake up and I was wondering if they were going to come and cut out our light; just to show you the sacrifice we go through for you, it’s not for us, it’s for you and I am asking you this evening to please appreciate it. Children please appreciate it because we are trying our best to give you another start in your life. When the world gives you up, there’s always somebody to take you in. It doesn’t matter where you come from, it doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, if you set you life to do good you can achieve what you want to achieve in life.”
The naming of the Baileys as the 2007 Regional Unsung Heroes is the fourth year a Belizean candidate has been recognized with the honour since 2003. This afternoon the other recipients joined in the Baileys celebration.
It was 2005’s winner Gloria Edwards, who teaches expressive arts at Tubal, who submitted the Baileys for consideration. Other previous winners include 2004’s regional recipient Nurse Margaret Juan, who was recognized for her selfless contributions to health care and abused women for more than two decades; national unsung hero Sebastian Cayetano was honoured in 2005 for the establishment of a Garifuna museum in Belize City. Also on hand was the first unsung hero for the Caribbean, Florence Dillett, who founded Youth Enhancement Services fifteen years ago.
Irene Hernandez, Unsung Heroes Committee Coordinator, Belize
“I believe that in Belize we do have very good quality people who are willing to sacrifice and dedicate their lives for the good of others. No doubt in the other Caribbean islands or territories there are people similar but we always manage to come out on top. Perhaps it’s the submission that we send in because quite a lot of hard work goes into the write up of the article and the fact sheets of the finalists. We do a lot of research, we interviews, we delve into personal affairs; we try to get as much detail as possible to include in the article. So we do submit a very good article to the regional committee that does the selection.”
Janelle Chanona
“Because of our success is there any pressure on the local committee to keep up this track record?”
Irene Hernandez
“Not really pressure, if we win it’s excellent for Belize, if we don’t, then there’s always next year.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona
When the Baileys were named as national unsung heroes, they received a cheque for ten thousand dollars, bringing their total prize money to twenty-five thousand. According to the Baileys, the funds will be used to open a Vehicle Service Centre which will provide much needed ongoing financial support for Tubal’s programmes.
