Last night we told you about the 7 Belizeans who were awarded the Chevening Scholarship. Well, while they will be heading to the UK another group of Belizeans will be heading to Cuba this weekend. 13 were chosen to study medicine as part of the ongoing relationship between Belize and Cuba. Today a "going away" ceremony was held for the recipients and we found out how ready they are to take up this new challenge in their academic life.
Deryck Satchwell, Deputy Director, Tertiary and Post-Secondary Education Service
"We have 13 scholarships offered by Cuba to Belize this year, we have identified 12, we are still looking for one more and today the Cuban Embassy has had a farewell ceremony for them, they leave on Sunday actually for Cuba."
Lissette Perez Perez, Cuban Ambassador to Belize
"This is a project that we have with not only Belize but with all CARICOM members when we offer scholarship to each CARICOM member and for many many many years this is an idea of the late Commander in Chief Fidel Castro after the Hurricane affected in the 90's late 90's in Central America and the Caribbean."
"This is our humble contribution but it is very huge because it creates human resources to help our people, our countries and this is a symbolic…it is a symbol of solidarity and as a brotherhood because we feel that all our region we are brother and sister and we can share what we have."
Hiram Gongorra, Scholarship Recipient
"For me it is a very humbling opportunity to be one of, like, one of the few people to be chosen out of the large amount that applied. It is very humbling and it is a great opportunity for my family to have somebody who will eventually be a dentist to say hey my child is studying in Cuba."
"From what I heard in Cuba I have heard that it is very tough but I think everything depends on you the person and I am willing to adjust and sacrifice for it."
Ashanti Navaerette, Scholarship Recipient
"I am an NRM major and I love anything that has to do with the environment and I am a double major I mean and I felt that epidemiology included both of them for me which are two subjects that I really love."
Lissette Perez Perez, Cuban Ambassador to Belize
"The most important thing is the transformation of the students not only because they will become doctors and a professional, they have to increase themselves and become better persons."
The group leaves on Sunday for 6 years. Over 200 Belizeans have studied medicine in Cuba.
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