Scouts inaugurate computer room

It’s not an organisation that runs to the media everyday for publicity, but quietly, in its own solid way, Belize’s Scouting movement has been making its mark for the better part of a century.

Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
It may not be Belize’s biggest computer centre but its effects could be large.

Hilberto Riverol, Executive Dir., Scout Assn. of Belize
“Which we feel is an educational programme that will provide access to the young people and the community in general.”

“We have been using the computers for about three months now. We have had several programmes experimenting with it and we feel we are now ready to launch it properly.”

The initiative is the result of a close working relationship between the Ministry of Education and the Scouts Association of Belize.

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education
“I think whenever we have an opportunity to put in place another avenue for young people to get access to information technology, to educational tools like the computer, it’s a positive thing. So the Ministry of Education fully supports this initiative. Like I said, we have a very good working relationship with the Scout Association. We formalised it. I think in 2004 through a memorandum of understanding, so we work very closely together.”

Minister of Education Francis Fonseca says government’s support also includes providing the salary for the centre’s supervisor as well as working to get additional computers. Presently, the centre has twelve machines that were all donated by INTERVOL, a U.S based organisation. The launch was part of activities celebrating one hundred years of scouting in Belize.

Hilberto Riverol
“Even though the celebrations don’t start until August first, which is when Scouting really started, we have started the celebrations from once. We’re starting now with the opening of the computer lab.”

Jacqueline Godwin
“Looking at the Scout movement in Belize, just how strong is it today?”

Hilberto Riverol
“We believe that it’s very strong. We started back in ’85 with a membership of about three hundred and right now we are close to three thousand members. We believe that’s a major achievement, particularly with working with young people nowadays.”

This year the Scout Association is holding its activities under the theme: One promise, One World.

The computer centre is situated at the association’s headquarters on the lower flat of the Belize City Centre. Meanwhile, National Scout Week will culminate over the weekend with a two day fair in Dangriga.