For over 50 years, the YWCA has been based mainly in Belize City, but the organization also offers services to women in rural areas. But getting to the city can be half the problem, so today the "Y" opened its new branch in theother city, Belmopan.
7News spoke to the President about the importance of this milestone for the Organization.
Sheree Smiling - Craig - President, YWCA Belize
"We're opening our Belmopan branch, which is a historical event for the YWCA. We have always, for 57 years, actually been in the Belize City area. Although we catered to rural women, this branch in Belmopan is just showing our support - our greater support to the rural women projects so that women from the Belmopan community and the wider Belize community can come into Belmopan and be trained in marketing, in creating new skills, and having an outlet for their produces. A lot of the rural women are encouraged through their programs with the Y to actually create new produces that they can market, so that they become self-sustained in their own lives."
Daniel Ortiz
"Why do you and the YWCA feel as if though it is important, was there issue of accessibility?"
Sheree Smiling - Craig
"Always, there's always a problem with accessibility for local products, getting local products in the market, and in addition to that, we are not very - we have to improve the way we market. We need to be better in coming up with our price structures and ensuring that we're getting value for our work."
The cost of the new facility is about half a million dollars, which came from European Union funding.
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