The Belize Camping Experience

Over a thousand Belize City kids participated in summer activities by an organization called the Belize Camping Experience. The camps finished last week, but the coordinators do follow up visits with the participants throughout the year to offer mentoring and whatever assistance they may need in school. Like many summer programs, the Belize Camping Experience depends on fundraising to keep its initiatives going and that’s where Harvest for Kids comes in. It’s a collaboration with farmers in San Carlos, Orange Walk and Banana Bank, Cayo, who have allowed the organization to plant a total of forty acres of corn, which will be harvested and sold. While the full harvest will be done in October, Belize Camping Experience Director, Alexander Perez, says they took some of the kids out to the farms at the end of camp to start reaping some of the mature plants. According to Perez, aside from being a fundraiser, the harvest gives the kids a firsthand look at how hard work yields good results.

Alexander Perez, Director, Belize Camping Experience

Alexander Perez

“We’re working on the funds and how we’re going to follow up with the one thousand kids that we reached this summer. One of the exciting things is the Harvest for Kids and how this project is coming together and it’s amazing to see the response of the kids going to the field as the corn is growing.”

Delahnie Bain

“So you’ve taken them out to start harvesting already?”

Alexander Perez

“Yes, we took twenty-two kids on the field just a week ago to give that experience to the kids what is to plant and what is to reap. And what happened while the kids were there is that they were able to pull the corn from the plant, right into the pot and have it right there on the farm so that they can experience that moment of if you work, you will harvest. They were able to pull some corn and bring it home so that they can share with their families and their friends what Harvest for kids is doing.”

Delahnie Bain

“But you still have the big harvesting event happening in October?”

Alexander Perez

“Yes, in October the date is coming very soon, the corn is getting mature and so we’re working hard. We’re inviting all the farmers who have these machines, combines so we can put them on the field; ten to fifteen combines so that we can harvest that corn when it’s ready to be harvested and then sell the corn so we can raise support.  It’s a partnership between the farmers and us and so we’re still inviting the public who care for our kids to get involved. We still haven’t raised sufficient funds to have a profit from the harvest. So we want to keep reminding the public to make a donation; any donation for a sack of fertilizer, seeds, nay donation will help us so that at the end of the harvest we can have finances so that we can keep doing these summer camps and follow up programs in Belize City.”

To support Harvest for Kids, call 621-5541 or email harvestforkids@gmail.ca.