City Hall’s summer camp for kids

The second annual City Council’s Summer Camps are ongoing in Belize City. Students from ages four to twelve are enjoying arts and craft, computer skills, sporting events and outdoor activities that are teaching them to be responsible for the environment. Those who are not at the Skills Training Center are at the Youth Hostel where they are having as much fun on the football field and basketball court. Duane Moody joined in one of the camps.   

Duane Moody, Reporting

Some seventy-five Belize City youth received school bags and other school supplies courtesy of the City Council and Diamonds International as well as a basketball or football from UNICEF. It was a pre-closing event for Councilor Alain Gonzalez’ camp which focused on After School and Educational Environment activities. The camp is being held under the theme, “Shaping Young Minds Today for a Better Belize Tomorrow.”

Darrell Bradley, Belize City Mayor

Darrell Bradley

“This is part of the Council’s ongoing efforts to invest in youth development. This is one of two youth programs that is going on this summer. This one is geared towards younger aged children. And the other one is geared towards more athletics—basketball that kind of stuff. We have seventy young people participating and it is form the morning nine o’clock to four o’clock in the evening. We gave gift for each young person of a basketball or a football. We also gave them a bag and some school equipment.  When I spoke to them today, I encouraged them to be the change that they want to see in the world. Young people can make a significant difference in our society if it is impacting the family or the school environment or the city on a whole. So we want to challenge these young people and encourage them to continue in their school and really to be that leader or that aging for change in their community.”

The activities included various trips to several locations within Belize. And by the end of the program next week, apart from a constructive and positive use of their leisure time, the students are expected to take home with them skills in arts and craft and computer.

Alain Gonzalez

Dr. Alain Gonzalez, Councilor Responsible for Youth and After School Program

“During the day we have a devotional session and then the kids would divide up into groups of three. We do computer and then we do arts—some kids do arts and craft while the other half do computer.  Sometimes we have motivational talks that they would have in the morning. We had the police that came in and talk to them; we had traffic people who came in and talked to them; we have a nurse came in and talked to them. And so we keep the kids involved in something through the day.”

Robert McClaren, Participant

“The camp to me was a very positive camp. We had some very fun times and some very in between times. We play ball in the evening and computer and arts in the morning.”

Corian Gonzalez, Participant

Corian Gonzalez & Robert McClaren

“The fun part about it is that how all of the people here always care about us and they did this last year for us.”

Duane Moody

“Tell me about what you guys are going to take home from it? What did you learn from the program?”

Corian Gonzalez

“We learn that people care and if you care too, you will do better in life.”

Robert McClaren

“The camp was positive because Mister Philip Singh always pushed us to be a gentleman and don’t do something that you know someone will correct you for.”

While there were several donors to the program, Diamonds International, provided the much needed school supplies to the children.

Yolanda Magana, Chief Finance Officer, Diamonds International

Yolanda Magana

“It was our pleasure partnering with this year as we had the last year in the summer program for the kids. Diamonds International realizes that the kids are our future like everybody constantly said. They are our future and we encourage them to participate in Summer Camps as opposed to not having anything to do. We love that we had seventy plus kids coming together enjoying themselves together, learning and it was excellent for us to be able to participate in terms of the hardware that they would need even if it wasn’t the time.”

This Saturday all participants will be treated with a trip to Goff Caye courtesy OCEANA Belize. Duane Moody for News Five.

Several other sponsors of the program are: the Belize Bank, Bowen and Bowen Limited and OCEANA Belize.