The United States government today announced $150,000 in grants to six govenrment and non-governmental organizations. Sure $150,000 sounds small when you compare it to the tens of millions we get from our friend in the east - Taiwan - or from our friendly ally in the south - Venezuela - but there were no complaints today from the recipients, most of whom work in HIV and Aids prevention and treatment. They picked up their checks at the U.S. Ambassador's residence this morning and 7NEWS was there.
Keith Swift Reporting,
Mark Thessing from the Hands in Hands Ministry received the first of the six checks from Ambassador Robert Dieter. It is only for $4,000 but Thessing said it will help their outreach to parents of children living with HIV.
Both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health got grants for $12,000 each. Chief Education Officer Maud Hyde accepted for the Ministry of Education and Dr. Jorge Polanco did the same for the Ministry of Health.
Maud Hyde, Chief Education Officer
"So this grant will certainly aid us to be able to work more closely with the schools and to organize more direct interventions within the school system."
Dr. Jorge Polanco, Ministry of Health
"As was put in the proposal, the emphasis will be in producing a documentary and three public service announcements with the theme geared towards reducing stigma, reducing discrimination, and at the same time also promoting the use of our voluntary and counseling centers that we have throughout the country."
The Youth Enhancement Services programme also plans to tackle HIV and Aids using mass media but they plan to do it through a movie. Today YES got a production budget of $13,000 from Ambassador Dieter. Karen Cain is YES's Executive Director.
Karen Cain, Y.E.S.
"We felt that it would be important for those young people to get involved into making a movie and the whole idea is to address the stigma and discrimination, prevention, how to really go about getting testing, because some people have a little fear in doing so."
A further $9,000 will go the Young Women's Christian Association to keep the 'Y' alive. That check was picked up by Sonia Lenares.
And speaking of keeping alive - the Institute of Archaelogy got the biggest check - $100,000 to keep history alive. It is exactly $108,680 and the grant comes from the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation. Belize's archaelogy czar Dr. Jaime Awe picked up the big check and says like the US$46,000 which was granted last year to renovate Cerros, this $108,000 will go towards preserving these historic 16th century Spanish churches and this 19th century sugar mill at Lamanai.
Dr. Jaime Awe,
"When the Spanish arrived in the 1600s missionaries were sent from Mexico into Belize to try to convert those Mayan communities still existing here. These missionaries arrived in Lamanai and they built a church. Subsequently the Mayan fighting for their own independence, destroyed the first church. The Spanish returned, built a second church, and eventually that church too in the middle of the 17th century is also destroyed by the Maya in their fight to maintain their freedom. The British eventually come in, in the late 1800s to early 1900s and unlike the Spanish, they establish one of the first sugar mills in the country of Belize.
Today all that remains of these buildings are the ruins that were left behind and the eventual destruction caused by natural forces, the jungle etc. and later on by people scavenging some of the beautiful red bricks from the sugar mill and some of the stone work from the churches. This grant will assist us to conserve these monuments."
Ambassdor Robert Dieter says the grants are an example of the United States upgrading its assistance to Belize.
Robert Dieter, U.S. Ambassador to Belize
"Through the United States' Ambassador's Fund for HIV/Aids the U.S. government is contributing an additional US$25,000 to prevent its spread and help those who are already afflicted. Since 2003 this fund has contributed a total of $80,000 in Belize to help reduce HIV and Aids.
Second the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation is making a contribution to Belize's effort to preserve its cultural heritage. Contributions from the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation not only protects the roots of the past but also nurtures the seeds of the future by creating opportunities for new tourist attractions.
The contributions announced today are an example of the U.S.'s commitment to continue to assist Belizean civil society and non-governmental organizations in their efforts to improve people's health and well-being."
