Belize City, September 9, 2024:

Build Belize Inc. (BBI), in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism & Diaspora Relations (MTDR), the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science & Technology (MOE), the Belizean diaspora, and The Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation, generously provided Belizean students with backpacks, school supplies, and Chromebooks as part of BBI’s annual Back to School Drive.

Recognizing the fundamental role of education in our country's development, BBI actively sought donations to ensure that children had the essential tools to enrich their learning experience. The distribution was facilitated by Build Belize Inc.'s board members, Mrs. Sandhya Murphy, Ambassador for Diaspora Relations and Chair; Mr. Ray Gongora, Vice Chair; and Mrs. Jameli Bedran, Treasurer. They were joined by representatives from MTDR, Ms. Kalia Brandon and Mr. Kim Taylor, as well as MOE’s Government Primary Schools Manager, Ms. Melissa Andrade, and Local Manager of the Southern Region, Mr. Roquelino Mendez. Mr. Luis Robinson, a dedicated volunteer, also assisted in this initiative.

From September 2-5, 2024, Build Belize Inc. (BBI) conducted a comprehensive distribution of educational resources across 16 schools, extending from Belize City to Toledo. The schools benefiting from this initiative included St. Martin de Porres Primary School, Salvation Army Primary School, Kuxlin Ha Government School, Gales Point Government Primary School, Maya Mopan Government Primary, San Marcos RC Primary, Silver Creek RC Primary, Indian Creek RC Primary, Mabil Ha Government Primary, Sunday Wood RC Primary, and Living Wood Primary.

In addition, Chromebooks were allocated to Wesley Upper Primary School, Medina Bank Government Primary, Julian Cho Technical High School, and Toledo Community College, while desktop computers were provided to Forrest Home Methodist Primary School.

Overall, BBI’s Back-to-School Drive distributed over 1,000 backpacks, school supplies, and essential resources for teachers and administrators, along with 125 laptops, benefiting schools across Belize, Cayo, Stann Creek, and Toledo districts.  Additional supporters that assisted in this initiative were Midway Wholesale Depot Limited and Tropic Air Ltd.  Their contributions are greatly appreciated.

During the distribution, Ambassador Sandhya Murphy, Mr. Ray Gongora, and Ms. Jameli Bedran encouraged students to remain dedicated to their education, express gratitude to all those who generously support and invest in their academic growth and embrace the spirit of giving by paying it forward, just as the Belizean diaspora and others have done for them.

Build Belize Inc. extends its heartfelt thanks to all donors, partners, and members of the Belizean diaspora for their unwavering support. The organization looks forward to continued collaboration in building a brighter future for Belize. Together, we can BUILD BELIZE!

ENDS