Our headline story was about this morning's shooting on Logwood Street. But that was preceded by an LIU training.
The Leadership Intervention Unit through its Agriculture Program has spoken loudly of its commitment to supporting former gang members in a pivot from street hustling in the concrete jungle to sustainable farming in the bush.
Here's a look at that first training session today and why one aspiring farmer told us he's not planning to give up when the going gets tough.
Brandon Baptiste, Training As A Farmer
"Well, I am learning to be a farmer to you know, you understand. It's time to make us plant up, you know, and live off of the land now you understand me because things are getting hard, you check so the more we plant the more we will eat. So, it's better for me so I just came to learn a little thing man, directly I will be on my farm, dealing with my little farming and things and eating rich, you dig."
Cherisse Halsall:
"What about the challenges of farming in particular when there's drought, when there is too much rain, how will you handle that?"
Brandon Baptiste, Training As A Farmer
"Well, that is what I am learning right now you know, that is what I am learning right now."
"Trust me I will learn in these couple weeks where we are coming to little training, you know."
Cherisse Halsall:
"And how encouraged are you to get out of the city and be on the farm as you say?"
Brandon Baptiste, Training As A Farmer
"Well I am trying to do that, you understand me so if I am far and I am on my farm I won't get into no problems it will be better like that."
Elise Guion Vernon, Miss World Belize
"From what I've seen they don't seem nervous, they seem excited about the project, um, they are in there at the moment doing the training and they are asking questions and they are very interactive."
"Just sharing. My experience as a farmer as a certified beekeeper, and a diver as well and I just explained to them that although this may seem like a new challenge, face challenges, embrace challenges and learn from them because it builds strength within and it helps us to improve our society as it is."
Reporter:
"What are some of those challenges when it comes to farming, seeking?"
Elise Guion Vernon, Miss World Belize
"Well, the challenges can be many sometimes I mean at the moment we are experiencing the dry season and so it is a learning experience and we are working with our animals and with outcrops and this is something that we face every day as farmers."
"These things are things that you learn from hands-on experiences when you need food, you have to find that food. When you need water you have to find the water for the animals and you just learn to do that as a farmer and that is what these challenges teach you."
While the LIU spearheads this project the next few weeks of training are being conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture.
