7 News Belize

Weed Whackers As Entrepreneurship
posted (June 1, 2016)

26 weed whackers were donated to 26 young prospective Belizean entrepreneurs this afternoon. It is a Belize City Council initiative to empower marginalized city men, and assist them in becoming independent bread winners for their families while at the same time providing an essential service to the city. The 26 recipients of the weed whackers were chosen based on the recommendations of constituency representatives in the city of Belize. We attended the handing over ceremony today and met some of the young prospective entrepreneurs.

Deon Leslie - Councillor of Sanitation
"I encourage you all to use these machines, they're great machines, the council have been using them for the past year, we've had great results with them to take care of these machines, use them as much as you can, have an income and you never know; you can grow your little company and when you come back here a year from now you can say you went from 1 machine to 5 machines and now you're employing 6, 7 people. So with that I say thank you and good luck."

Darrell Bradley, Belize City Mayor
"It is a good day for promoting empowerment in the city. We are dealing with several different issues, we are dealing with sanitation we are dealing with the need to provide opportunities for young people within our city. We want to enclosing really address the young people who will be the recipients of these weed whackers to really say we are hoping you received this gift in the way it was intended. It is gift to empower you do things within your community to be a change within this city to be an economic anchor. Each of you can have the potential to have a business in the beautification of Belize City."

Emanuel Pech
"How do you feel today to be receiving your very own weed whacker?"

Kent Moss - Gift Recipient
"I feel good, I feel good because today is my birthday so it comes in as a good gift."

Emanuel Pech
"So now that you have received your weed whacker, what is the business plan?"

Kent Moss - Gift Recipient
"Apparently we got a lee thing setting up right now, KBC, Keep Belize Clean. We are trying to see if we could get from Pallotti to the bridge, see if we could get that whole area clean for the government."

Niam Nunez - Gift Recipient
"Give thanks to the council and thing to look out for the ghetto youths them pan the street and thing to right."

Emanuel Pech
"How old are you?"

Niam Nunez - Gift Recipient
"24."

Emanuel Pech
"You have any family to maintain?"

Niam Nunez - Gift Recipient
"A daughter and a son."

Emanuel Pech
"So now with this assistance that you are getting from the city council, do you think it will assist you greatly in trying to maintain them?"

Niam Nunez - Gift Recipient
"Definate brother."

Robert McClaren - Gift Recipient
"Well I the plan to try be a entrepreneur you know. Thanks for the lee business venture and thing this way I know I could try hustle and make a lee something for myself you know."

Emanuel Pech
"What area are you going to be working in?"

Robert McClaren - Gift Recipient
"Well mostly Port Loyola you know. Of course you know I am the bread winner for my family and thing you know so this will do a great deal for me and thing you know I got my kids them who are going to school and thing you know; so it will help a whole lot man." 

The Honda brand weed whackers were purchased through City Council funds at a price of about $1,500 dollars each. Now, according to the Mayor, this donation is only the first phase. City hall has assisted some of these young entrepreneurs with links to schools which will be hiring them clean their compounds. The City Council is also planning to further assist them in their business plans through the CARILED project.

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