BRIDGE TO BELIZE PROJECT UPDATE
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New World Villages is concentrating its work within the southern Toledo District of Belize. Adjacent to Guatemala, the Toledo District is the most under-developed area of the country. The poverty rate is as high as 79% with an accompanying high rate of unemployment. In addition, 81% of the population of the district lives in small rural villages accessed either via unpaved roads, by boat, or by foot. Some of these villages are still without running water and/or electricity,
Home to approximately 26,000 people, the
Toledo District boasts a rich blend of ethnicities
including two Mayan groups (Mopan and Kek’chi),
Garifuna, Hispanic, Creole, and East Indian.
Punta Gorda, the largest town in the district,
is largely populated by the Garifuna, or Black Carib. These proud people are descendents of escaped and liberated African slaves. Many nearby villages are populated by native Mayans, who are primarily subsistence farmers using “slash and burn” practices in an attempt to feed their large households.
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New World Villages has made great headway
on our goal of gathering donations for the
"Bridge to Belize" project. To date we have
been partnering with Toledo District schools,
and have shipped more than 10,000 textbooks and
library books to St. Peter Claver Parish's 5,300
primary school students*. In addition, we've
financed 30 scholarships to allow poor families
to send their children to elementary and high
school. These students and their parents have
written thank you letters to New World Villages
that reflect a sincere gratitude for our help.
Scholarships have also been provided to
teachers to allow them to participate in annual
training and workshop sessions.
We are seeking to expand our current operations in Belize by pursuing various grants and other funding opportunities. We have had great success with Rotary International (see Rotary Club Computer Project.) Research into other funding options is ongoing.
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Other Belize initiatives include:
"Animals for Others":
Dorla Bowman B.A., M.P.A.
"Animals for Others"
Program Manager
In addition to our educational focus, we have helped finance the region's "Animals for Others" program. This program offers poor subsistence farmers and villagers, with no or low income, the training, supplies, and animals needed to become self reliant. The farmers receive piglets or chickens, which they raise to breeding age. The animals are then bred, with a percentage of the offspring given back to the program for donation to other villagers. In the meantime, the original farmer may sell some of the offspring to buy food, or keep the animals to expand his breeding operation or to feed his family. This program works to reduce poverty, improve nutrition, and raise the level of dignity of the villagers and their families. We have financed 18 of these farms.
Our primary project for 2008 involved the construction of a "pig hotel", a holding pen for piglets that are awaiting donation to villagers. In 2009, we constructed a
"chicken run", also to assist the Animals for Others program. A crew of volunteers from Washington, California and Arizona departed for the Toledo District on August 21st, and construction was completed by August 24th.
We need your help! Please consider making a donation for this project by sending a check payable to: NEW WORLD VILLAGES
10320 NE 125th Place
Kirkland, WA 98034
or click on our DONATION INFORMATION link for information about donating by credit card.
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* Education in Belize is a partnership between churches, the state, and communities, with some schools government-owned but most operated by school managers appointed by the various religious denominations. Regional Education Councils assist the Belize Ministry of Education and Sports in developing curriculum and overseeing implementation of criteria. They also devise criteria for the delegation of resources to districts including furniture, equipment, repairs and renewals; provide for the sale of textbooks and allocation of grants/bursaries; and develop criteria for licensing of schools, among other responsibilities.
St. Peter Claver School Library
