Local News

Ground breaking ceremonies were held this morning in Belmopan for the Young Women’s Christian Association of Belize’s new National Enterprise Development Center.  The facility will be located on Trinity Boulevard in the nation’s capital. The project is being undertaken under the Belize Rural Development Project at a cost of just over one point seven million dollars, with funding provided via a grant from the European Union.  Ann-Marie Williams is the communications officer for the YWCA.

ANN MARIE WILLIAMS

Communications Officer

Young Women’s Christian Association

“It’s a wonderful day for us at the YWCA because this is something we’ve been looking into for over a year.  As we said, the European Union, this is not the first time we have benefited from a project from the European Union.  This is our second opportunity but in a time when you will get monies to do certain projects and not really for buildings, this is really a ground breaking time for us, literally.  It’s great too because often times we think of economic opportunities that come along very rarely and this will provide economic opportunities for women, young girls and for youth and not in the City where a lot of things are city centered but in the rural areas and in deprived communities in and around the Cayo District and even in Dangriga.  So this is a great thing for us at the YWCA.”

Williams says that the building is scheduled for completion in time to facilitate upcoming projects to be undertaken by the YWCA.

ANN MARIE WILLIAMS

Communications Officer

Young Women’s Christian Association

“In February when we are expected to complete the building, we have a group of about fifty women and youth who will be coming in from, particularly the Cayo District and some of the villages that will be given an opportunity to do Marketing Development.  They will look at some of the ways how they can start up small businesses, look at business mentorship and also provide an outlet for economic opportunities because this building will house a variety outlet/market where a lot of their produce can be put on sale.  When the project is not on in the nights and the weekends, the people in this area and surrounding areas can use the building because it will house classrooms, there will be a computer lab and a basketball court will actually be on the ground.  So, we don’t only want the building for the project, we want the building to be useful.  It’s also an opportunity for the YWCA to continue its growth and development because after 56 years we only have a chapter in Belize City and this building will actually house a chapter of the Belmopan YWCA.  So, again we look at that as a great time for the Y.”

The four thousand square foot Resource Center will be used to provide on-going training opportunities for women and youth. It will also house office space, a multi-purpose room, a computer lab, classrooms, a kitchen, and a market outlet.  Present for this morning’s ground breaking ceremonies were representatives of the YWCA, European Union, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Belize Rural Development Project Two and the Belmopan City Council among others.

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