Grassroots organization get donation from Kentucky Church

Self Development of the People is a humanitarian group that is supported by the Presbyterian Church of Kentucky, USA.  The group promotes and supports sustainable development projects. Recently it has committed to fund projects in Belize for a period of six years. So far the Sandy Beach Women’s Cooperative and the Hopkin’s Farmer’s Cooperative have benefited from their charitable work with as much as twenty thousand dollars. This afternoon the Regina Martinez Foundation, which encourages and trains women in the Jane Usher Boulevard Area found out it would also be a recipient of the church’s goodwill.

Cynthia Ellis Topsey

Cynthia Ellis Topsey, Community Developer, San Ignacio

“There are many awesome and positive things happening in the country; such as the self development of the people, which is an organization based in Kentucky, USA, supporting community-based initiatives. We have been historic in the world, where they have selected Belize as the second country to receive funding for the next six years.”

Indira Bartley

Indira Bartley, Regina Martinez Foundation

“What we are trying to do is to get all the mothers together and try to make a better living and make our community safer. We formed in January 2012 and since we were formed we have eight ladies who graduated from a sewing project and willing to take on jobs to support themselves. We have some of them that did small business training and some of them already doing their own little stuff, so basically why we are looking for funds is for us to branch off a little farther and things can get easier for the children in the neighborhood. I keep saying this, what we are trying to do is to not fall under the category, of the word poor; cause for our group, we have a meaning for that word. It means, people over-looking opportunities regularly, and we do not want to fall under that category. We do not consider ourselves to be poor; we’re under-privileged because we do not over look opportunities that come our way. This is the reason why I am here, because I am trying to find a way for the ladies to make it because they do not want to sit at home and wait for the money to come in from the man or waiting for the minister to help them; we are willing to work. We are willing to get up and fight for our community; it’s just for us to get the assistance to do it.”