U.S. refurbishes dormitory at Youth Hostel
The Youth Hostel: It’s an institution that stands at a fork in the road, where one route leads to productive citizenship and the other to prison. Today the hostel received a major facelift, but will the brighter surroundings make for better rehabilitation?
Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
Presently, there are thirty teenaged boys and girls residing at the Youth Hostel facility at mile twenty-one and a half on the Western Highway. The children are brought to the institution through the court system after getting into trouble with the law. The road to rehabilitating is never easy and it takes great commitment and patience to get it done … and it also takes a good environment to make it happen.
The newly renovated girl’s dormitory was officially inaugurated during a ceremony involving the children, staff, and all who made the project possible, including the governments of Belize and the United States. In December, a similar activity was held for the boy’s dormitory. According to U.S Ambassador Robert Dieter both projects involved extensive renovations at a cost of over two hundred and thirty-eight thousand Belize dollars. The funds were provided by the U.S. Southern Command Humanitarian Assistance Programme.
Robert Dieter, U.S. Ambassador to Belize
“The renovations were extensive. A complete rewiring of the facility: new roof, floor tiling throughout, the contractor replaced all bathroom fixtures and installed two new water heaters and pressurised water distribution system to both the boy and girl centres, plus a new septic system. The entire facility was repainted and new lights, fixtures, ceiling fans, and doors were also installed.”
Youth Hostel Chief Supervisor Glendamae Martinez recalls what it was like before.
Glendamae Martinez, Chief Supervisor, Youth Hostel
“Poor running water, the condition of the bathrooms were very poor, the lighting for the buildings were very poor.”
The two dormitories are built to hold a combined total of twenty-eight residents, which means the facility is already two beds short.
Glendamae Martinez
“We have a little bit overcrowding, but what we plan to do is provide them with bunk beds, so it will get better.”
The children were reminded that they must complement the improved conditions by making the necessary changes to improve their lives.
Sylvia Flores, Minister of Human Development
“You may say my parents were never there for me or my parents were sometimes there for me, but what really matters, young people, is that you recognize the people who have reached out to you. You are moving across to another life and this is the moment that you must seize, that you must appreciate in your life.”
Robert Dieter
“Nobody is perfect, we all make mistakes but it is important to realise that we do have control over the choices that we make, we do have control over the people we that we hang out with and there is always somebody there who will help you.”
In her address to the gathering, chief supervisor Glendamae Martinez says she would like to see more attention given to the children at Youth Hostel. According to Martinez, the facility is in need of a full time counsellor, social worker, and another classroom teacher. In addition, Martinez says the institution’s vocational programme and sporting facilities also need to be improved.
