The annual BDF Summer Camp has made its way up north this year, giving kids in Corozal an opportunity to get out and engage in a number of sporting activities. Here's how the BDF squad is keeping these kids busy for the summer. Jomarie Lanza Reports.
The BDF is hosting its annual summer camp for kids in Corozal for the first time. Activities are designed to keep both their minds and bodies busy over a two week period. Up to 53 kids have been enrolled, and the Brigadier general says they were overwhelmed by the turnout:
Azariel Loria Brigadier General, Commander, Belize Defense force
"We have been doing this summer program mostly in the Belize district for about 10 to 15 years or perhaps even more."
"We decided to bring the summer program to Corozal because as you know most of the time or from the inception of this summer program, it was done in Belize city, Ladyville that area. So for the first time, we decided to bring it here. In the Corozal district for obvious reasons, one of them is a change of environment here. If you are tracking be a security environment up in the north is not at its best when it used to be calm now we know about some of the cartels that are coming from Mexico to be closer to the northern border and it's kind of changing the, affecting nature, we do business here in the Corozal district. We do not want that kind of environment infiltrate the youths hence the reason why we decided to come here and try to instill good values in the kids."
Major Justo Veliz Jr who is in charge of running the camp says that they have even arranged transportation modes for these kids, so as to include those who live outside of the town. He says it's a way for them to make friends with other children from different areas their district.
Major Justo Veliz Jr., Service and support Battalion executive officer
"So the actual theme for this summer program is developing the basic fundamental skills for the kids that is in four different disciplines that is in basketball swimming volleyball and football. So one of the things that we enact here is that some of the kids we see are very gadget oriented so here when they arrive we assure safety of course safety is paramount and we remove all that engagement and we get them to really mingle with other kids and the idea is for the networking to develop friends, to meet new friends, meet new students and go through the stages of groupings. So I am happy to see that for this point here I spoke to them yesterday. They are so happy to meet new people, new friends and established a network among them."
"We are engaging the ones from the village all the way from Calcutta to San Joaquin, along the highway we have an actual bus that we procured to do that route a Tillets bus, so that bus which marks summer passes along the highway and pick up those in carousel at the terminal and brings them here. So I am happy to say that it is shared."
And while you may think the BDF camps are known for their rigorous and strict way of doing things, Major Veliz says that it's nothing like that when it comes to these kids - learning to balance both fun and play while instilling discipline and core values.
Major Justo Veliz Jr., Service and support Battalion executive officer
"The instructors are very crucially picked that we balanced the hard discipline of a uniformed men compared to the growing youths, so what we initially do as per say for example when the bus descends here at enters the camp everybody comes out well organized they would go and secure their bags then form up the lines of formation and we do our prayers we sing the national anthem and then they segregate into the different disciplines and before every meal as per the school program you will pray and then if you clean your own dish you will go through the whole process like a mini little camper in the military so and they are very happy about it and I must say that especially the program the way it is running we have qualified physical instructors and qualified medics. We have two for this specific summer program because safety is paramount so when the heat gets too high, we kind of sober down the sports and then we entertain them otherwise like width, of course ice cream is one of the way is rehydration and from we do other small activities like group singing and the dancing even it's just to make that group formation."
