The Government of Belize is collaborating with the UNDP and the India-UN Development Partnership Fund for an infrastructure upgrade of the Teodocio Ochoa Park in Cayo.
The UN India Fund has given Belize a grant of $590,000 US to build several facilities on the park lands. It includes a multi-purpose facility for the new "San Ignacio Community, Exercise, Social Sports, and Women's Group Feeding Programme Complex." A press release from the Government says that an estimated 4,000 residents from San Ignacio and Santa Elena will benefit.
The complex will also serve as a centre for a food pantry program.
A launching ceremony was held at the park yesterday, and here's what the main speakers had to say about this new program:
Hon. Omar Figueroa, Minister of State - Sustainable Development
"It is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to this very special occasion where the Ministry of Fisheries and Environment and Sustainable Development together with the Ministry of Human Development and in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program through finance from the India United Nations Development Fund, in celebrating the official signing of the project entitled 'Supports to Infrastructure for Human Development, Health and Sports'. This is without doubt a transformational initiative that will not only alter the physical landscape in Cayo North, but one in which the impacts will ratify across the socio-economic and the health sectors. I am hopeful, in fact I am confident, that through the over-arching goals and objectives of this project, we will in some way or another touch the lives of every man, woman and child in this part of Cayo North."
Hon. Boots Martinez
"The program is a partnership between the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Human Development. The ministries have combined their strengths. Hence bring the consistency and structure of certain characteristic of military life and human development in psycho-social care and training to ensure that the young people in the program, physically, mentally and.... The goal is to have these young people go back into their communities far more equipped to be productive citizens."
Karen Bernard, Deputy Resident Representative
"We're here to raise this fantastic opportunity to initiate a relationship with India and Belize, to support that, to nurture that relationship. I believe this is just the beginning because I've been advised that this is a new fund which was established. Under the auspices of United Nations, called the UN India Fund and Belize is one of the first countries to access this fund."
Apart from this new complex at the Teodocio Ochoa Park, the grant will upgrade the facilities for the Youth Challenge Programme, located at mile 21 on the George Price Highway.
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