Everyday seventy students attending St. John's Primary School receive a hearty meal at lunch through the school's feeding program. The students should pay $2 a day but many of them just can't afford it. To help them along, today employees of the Belize City branch of the Social Security Board donated a new stove, refrigerator, cupboards, and food to the school to ensure that at least for the next month or so - the feeding will go on. Beulah Flowers from the SSB Office led the initiative.
Beulah Flowers, Social Security
"We are having the opening of the feeding program for St. John's Primary School. It is an initiative of the staff of the Belize City branch office in honor of our twenty five year of existence as well as the country's twenty five years. We are hoping that it will be an initiative 'year in year out' but at this point I can't say. This is just the beginning."
Michelle Williams, St. John's Primary School
"The donation will help the school here at St. John's because we were in dire need and we didn't have any funds and this was the first large donation we have ever received and we are very grateful for it."
Keith Swift,
How important is this feeding program?
Michelle Williams,
"This feeding program is very important because here on the south side we have a lot of children who don't get breakfast in the morning and so the midday meal is a very important meal because as you know if you don't eat you won't be able to think and learn so the midday meal is very important."
The donation adds up to about $5,000. Part of the money did come from Social Security's management. The feeding program at St. John's started 20 years ago. It costs about $100 a day to feed the seventy students.
