Relief & Aid in Belize

Food, Medical, Emergency

Our provision of food for school children, the elderly, and those with disabilities who have little to no income or family support is an ongoing effort. Sometimes the only meal a child or an elderly person receives is the one we can deliver, and as a result, this program is incredibly important to the community.

Providing medical assistance continues to be an ongoing challenge because the community's needs are always greater than our available resources.

Hurricanes are also relatively common in Belize, and when one strikes, there is little time to spring into action. People need food, clothing, and bedding. Cash donations are converted to food and essentials, and then distributed to those who need them most.

Relief & Aid Challenges

Poverty
Approximately one third of Belize's population lives in poverty, and often goes day to day without meeting basic nutritional requirements. Poverty reduction and food security strategies are not in place, and there is no national program to ensure that students receive a nutritional meal at school. The provisions given by Human Services to assist families living in poverty are very minimal and often inaccessible.

Medical
While the Government of Belize provides general health care and basic pharmaceuticals and private hospitals offer services for more complicated procedures, most major medical issues are still not treatable in Belize. Even when serious conditions are able to be treated in the country, most Belizeans do not have insurance and cannot afford major medical care. Government services and other professional and community services for people with special problems, such as disabilities, are very minimal. Nationwide, there are only a handful of groups, care centers, organizations, and special educational facilities. They are generally understaffed, and focus upon a rather limited range of physical and mental handicaps. Provision for disabled persons in Cayo is inadequate, services are limited, and both trained and untrained persons serving the disabled community are few.

Education
Although there is a public school system in Belize, there are still substantial costs involved in sending a child to primary school, and especially to high school. While the education itself is "free", parents are required to pay for compulsory uniforms, books and supplies, and annual registration fees. Often, families do not have the income to provide all their children with even a primary school education, let alone a more expensive high school education. Additionally, parents may also not be able to afford losing the assistance their children provide through income-generating labor or domestic work. While this occurs more in rural villages, the trend is still prevalent in towns as well. When parents can only maintain schooling for some children, they will generally educate their boys, or withdraw girls earlier from school because child rearing is expected to consume a girl's future.