Over the next few months the ITVET in Hope Creek, in the Stann Creek district will undergo some major infrastructural renovations thanks to partnerships with 2 financial entities. The launch ceremony for the project took place this afternoon. Jomarie Lanza was there and here's how that went.
At first glance it's hard to ignore the faded paint and run down classrooms desperately in need of a face lift. It's been 13 years since the ITVET in Hope Creek Stann Creek has received any major upgrades, but thanks to the team at the Social Investment Fund and the Caribbean Development Bank, renovations will soon be well underway.
Carlos Tun, Executive Director SIF:
"Let me first explain that this is a sub project under the trust fund cycle 10 funded by the Caribbean development bank in partnership with the government of Belize. It is a project of 1.4 million dollars and it includes the rehabilitation of Stann Creek Hope Creek, this project will entail some works, scope of works that includes basically the repairing of walls, ceilings, floor, providing the replacement of windows and doors epoxy of the floors, fire extinguishers smoke detectors, repairs to bathroom and accessories, plumbing and also an electrical upgrade. It includes three buildings, the administration buildings the culinary arch buildings and also the hospitality management buildings."
Due to the poor conditions of the ITVET, Manager, Gwendolyn Garcia Martinez says when she first took office there were less than 50 students enrolled. but over the years they have managed to work with the little resources they had and soon enough they had just about 200 students who graduated this past June. And now with an infrastructural upgrade, Garcia Martinez has high hopes for the future of the institution.
Gwendolyn Garcia Martinez, Manager of Stann Creek ITVET:
"Excited is an understatement I am super, super excited that we have finally gotten to this point and I am sure I will be even more excited in 8 months time when the project is finished."
"Prior to taking over ITVET, ITVET was almost like a ghost town, not much as happening here and when I came on board and I was told you know what you have this opportunity to be able to fix the building and make the place a better place, more conducive to learning I was excited so we, prior to now the bathrooms were an issue, we needed a paint job the infrastructure, the roof was leaking and still is but we will be getting that fixed, several structural issues that we had here and needed repaired even after the 2008 huge flood that happened there were several things that was not fixed then that are going to be addressed now."
Minister Louis Zabaneh, who is supports the project, says that it's an investment that will have a major benefit to the community in the longer run.
Louis Zabaneh, Area Representative for Dangriga:
"Yes I think that what was very good is that there was an analysis of what was needed in the district where particular skills are lacking and that took some time and fed into what the investment would go into. So besides of course the upliftment of the infrastructure and all that there will also be consideration for the actual workshops that are here, modernizing the equipment so that the graduates from the program would be able to benefit from better courses that use more modern equipment and at the end of the days it's the customers in the community who will be benefiting from the quality. So that is really really welcome."
