There is only about one month more to go before thousands of children return to their classrooms but just how many of these primary school students will be fully prepared is another matter. Many families just do not have the money it will take to buy their child’s uniform, school books and utensils much less afford to provide them with afternoon meals through the school feeding programme. It is a harsh reality that is now confronting parents as over the next four weeks they will have to come up with funds weeded to send their child to school in September. One new initiative may not be able to reach out to all those in need but the City Council’s Adopt A Child Programme hopes to assist as many school children as possible.
It was established by the Belize City Council through its councilors Hyacinth Latchman–Cuellar and Mark King. Today both handed over the first cash donation to St. Luke Methodist Primary School.
Hyacinth Latchman-Cuellar, City Councilor
“A lot of these schools are in need of monetary funds to help with students for the new school year, buying books and feeding them when the new school year starts. So myself and Councilor King we decided, he is responsible for anti-crime and I am responsible for women and children, so we collaborated together and we sought out different business establishments who were more than ready to help us and today is a product of us collaborating and working together as a council.”
Mark King, City Councilor
“Definitely it will be a big help to keep kids in school. One of the problems we’re facing in Belize City right now is that the government is doing a major part of keeping children in school however you know they can only do so much and so we believe it is everybody’s personal initiative to get out there and try to muster as much support as we can for our children.”
Hyacinth Latchman-Cuellar,
“So we’re asking other schools in the city if they have certain needs that they want us to look at and if the business establishments want to give back, we’re open to that. So we’re actually the people that are working as intermediaries so to speak so if they have concerns, if they have concerns if they have needs, please, for whatever reason you can bring it to myself, councilor King, we’re always available.”
Mark King,
“We have a lot of business people supporting us so we just wait until their money has come in that they have discussed with us and then immediately we give it to a school. It will throughout this year, throughout next year, it will not stop. It will continue so every year we will giving certain sums of money to schools that have actually sent us letters requesting help.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
How will the school use the $1,000?
Bernadine Pollard, Principal – St. Luke’s
“It will be used for students who are much in need and their parents are not able to meet the maintenance fee of the school.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
What needs?
Bernadine Pollard,
“Needs like paying the maintenance and for the feeding, we have some students who when they go home at lunch break are not fed and so they come back to school and we would have to find lunch for them so this money will be put into that, to meet that need.”
The goal is to help students before their school reopens in September. So businesses who would like to assist the adopt a child programme are asked to make their donations to the City Council before that time. Meanwhile those schools who would like to benefit from the programme are asked to get in contact with either councilors Hyacinth Latchman–Cuellar or Mark King.
