Boost is a targeted social assistance programme that has been praised by multi-lateral agencies as a model programme. It not just welfare or handouts, but is an incentive based system which ties assistance to how many children a mother has in school, whether they are actually going to school, or in the case of newborns, if they are going to the clinic. In Belize rural north 160 mothers got on the programme in 2011, and today the Department of Social Services went back to that community to sing up 75 more. We went to the Sandhill community center to find out how it’s going:...
Hon. Edmund Castro
"These single mothers are receiving cash money to make sure that their kids have food to eat and for them t go to school."
Erlene Baptist
"You come and you bring your Social Security card for your children, you get a credit union and they interview you and its as easy as that, easy as ABC."
Jules Vasquez
"How does it work? Like how many kids you have?"
Erlene Baptist
"Like how many kids you have and old folks at home. It goes according to the age of the child. I you have a baby, he/she gets like $20. If you have a child in 1st form, you get $45 and every year it goes up."
Jules Vasquez
"How does this program helps you in managing you family your dependents and your household?"
Erlene Baptist
"It helps a lot. It can help pay school fees or a bill."
Jules Vasquez
"How would this program be important to you?"
Patricia Hendy
"It will help a lot. You have kids that need the money. It will help a lot."
Jules Vasquez
"It must be very hard, I have 2 kids and I know it’s difficult. How hard is it?"
Icena Ferguson
"It is very hard because without a job "catch and kill" now and again - it’s hard."
Jules Vasquez
"Wow, six kids."
Icena Ferguson
"I have one in high school, 2 in preschool and the rest in primary school."
Jules Vasquez
"How do you currently manage?"
Icena Ferguson
"By the help of some people now and again like what Mr. Castro is doing right now."
Jules Vasquez
"One has the suspicion that you may be using your political patronage to tell them to come and support me, get on the Boost program when really it should be for everyone who is eligible for it."
Hon. Edmund Castro
"That’s right and I am also the Area Representative and being the Area Representative these people voted for me and they send me to Belmopan to fight and make sure that they get every nickel and dimes that they can get to help them."
Jules Vasquez
"If I am die hard PUP, I can’t come and line up here because Edmund Castro will tell the Department of Social Services no."
Hon. Edmund Castro
"It doesn’t work like that. As Area Representative I represent all Ps; PUP, UDP, Jehovah Witness, Adventist, Muslims, Rastas - I represent everybody and I can tell you that in 2011 a number of PUP families, single mothers received benefits and in 2012 they didn’t vote for me, but you know what, I feel good to know that their children are taking care of."
Jules Vasquez
"Your recommendation as the UDP Area Representative does not factor into the deliberations of the people who make the decisions in there from the Department of Human Services?"
Hon. Edmund Castro
"Not at all because right in there now I could find more than 1,2,3,4 PUPs and they know that I know they are PUP and I know they would proudly say they are PUP, but you know what, I hug them up the same and let them know that they are welcome and we will take care of them. I am here to do my job as an Area Representative."
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