It's YWCA week - and the organization is using its 7 days in the spotlight to underscore the services that the Young Women's Christian Association offers.
This is especially so in the area of the early school leavers program that caters to young women who are unable to continue their formal education. But goodwill and good deeds only go so far, and it's no different for the "Y" that's running out of money and looking for new funding. Today a group from Belize sister city in Evanston, Illinois visited the "Y" to offer help.
Miss Evanston, Illinois
"We are just trying to work closely with Belize going to visit many different organizations like the YWCA to see if they are in need of anything like financial or any other type of support and attend as many events as possible to see how we can help them."
Elaine Middleton, YWCA Belize
"The City Council had approached this group in Evanston to see if they could assist us with one of our programs here at YWCA and we chose the erly leavers program in which we train 45 to 50 women who ordinarily wouldn't have gotten into a sixth form."
"We are mainly looking for funds to run the program because our external funding is running out so we have to rely on our local people to support the program and the YWCA."
YWCA Representative,
"We have a global campaign to raise 25 million dollars which will be able to sustain all the YWCA programs around the world so we will be able sustain all about programs without having to rely on donors because you know there is donor fatigue."
"Y" Week is being celebrated this week with various other events.
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited for the internet by Keith Swift