Future of BFLA; directors turns to Gov’t for help

Earlier this month it was announced that the Belize Family Life Association, a pillar in the Belizean society for over twenty-five years, is in a disastrous financial predicament.  The organization has been on the forefront of promoting sexual and reproductive health but it remains severely cash strapped and is facing the very real possibility of closing its doors permanently since it cannot afford to pay its staff.  On Friday of last week its executive director met with officials from the Ministry of Health to explore ways in which its existing services can be assimilated into the public health framework.  Despite the favorable outcome of that meeting the future of BFLA still remains uncertain.  Meanwhile, its board of directors awaits an audience with PM Barrow to seek government’s assistance in bailing out the embattled organization.

Joan Burke, Exec. Dir., BFLA

Joan Burke

“I had a meeting with Dr. Michael Pitts, the Director of Health Services, and he made arrangements for us to meet with the technical team in Belmopan.  So we had that meeting last week Friday.  What came out of that meeting is the Ministry of Health is being willing for us to take a proposal to them and see what opportunities are there for us to collaborate with them in the southern part of the country where the Ministry of Health is the provider under the NHI project.  They are the primary care provider for the Stann Creek and Toledo District and looking at what we offer which is primarily the pap smears, you know.  So we are presently working on that.  We were supposed to have a meeting with the Ministry of Health’s health economist Michelle Vanzie yesterday but with the threat of the storm and everything that changed things.  What we were also trying to do was to secure, as I had mentioned, a meeting with the prime minister.  We have not received any confirmation as yet for that meeting, other than that we’ve had a number of our partner agencies basically reaching out to us, you know, saying Joan in what way can we help.  I know that some of our partners are basically in the same situation like we are but just the support and the encouragement is really helping to soften things at least for me to know that hey we have people out there who are feeling our pains.  We’ve actually had some of our employees, especially our nurses, who have said, you know, Ms. Burke if I even have to work free for November I am willing to do that because we had a number of our clients calling in.  I mean, Isani it’s amazing the number of persons calling in even to the radio stations and saying what are we going to do without BFLA?”

BFLA has organized a barbeque sale for Friday, the proceeds of which are intended to repair the only vehicle available to carry out the work of the association.