Over 14 thousand dollars worth of school supplies was donated to 31 Belize City Primary schools today. It's an initiative that was first spearheaded last year by the Belize City Council. Jomarie Lanza learned more about year two today:
31 Belize City primary Schools won't have to reach into their pockets this year to source classroom supplies for the coming school year. Thanks to the Belize City council and its child advisory body, for a second year in a row, they've put together these back to school packages for distribution ensuring that each school will have enough supplies to keep their classrooms clean, and maintain a healthy learning environment.
Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City
"Yeah it's a program really designed by our child advisory body, and the city council is really doing our part and contributing to education. Education is
important and many times you have seen where children are in classrooms but we just can't have classrooms. We have to have clean classrooms and that is why we felt it important that we provided some cleaning and sanitation supplies as well to some of the principals of the 31 schools in the Belize city area, we felt it important. It's the second year we are undertaking this activity but it is really a good activity because it contributes back to cleanliness. We have been singing about cleanliness. We can't just speak everyday about classrooms and the classrooms are not clean, we can't talk about how you love Belize city but you keep belize city horrible. We have to be leaders in this culture change that is needed in Belize city in respect to how we keep our city clean."
"This is through donations the diaspora out we have always been having activities and we try to ensure that the city does contribute back in some measure from our own resources to get this sort of project underway."
It's the council's way of giving back to the city while being inclusive of all 31 primary schools within their domain.
Kaya Cattouse, Belize City Councillor, Child advisory Body
"The packages include school bags and various cleaning supplies and while it's a modest contribution, you know it is something that is very much needed within the schools especially for children returning."
"There are 31 Schools within the city so each one got there was no selection process everyone received."
"So this came after Covid and mostly there were cleaning supplies to ensure that the place was properly sanitized so at the time it was much needed, a much needed package and it is still a much needed package keeping the place clean you know Clorox wipes and different disinfectants, school bags, paper towels, things of that sort."
And despite the fact that it may be a modest package, the principal of trinity Methodist school with over 180 students says that these supplies can last them up to 3 months
Jamael Campbell, Principal, Trinity Methodist school
"As a primary school we need the supplies here of course it is very expensive and very difficult to consume these this time of year and so this puts us at advantage that we don't have to now go out and use our funds to actually purchase these in the initially stages of school so it's very beneficial to us as school and to the students especially who will get to benefit from this."
"So it will be held in the office and we will distribute it on a needs basis and the cleaner will fulfill the bathroom needs and as in the class needs we will send for them."
