BELIZE RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT TO BE INTRODUCED IN ORANGE WALK DISTRICT

October 03, 2006

A Service Provider seminar for consultants is currently taking place in Orange Walk Town. Consultants of the Orange Walk and Corozal districts who have expressed interest in working with the implementation of the Belize Rural Development Program are taking part. The project is aimed at alleviating poverty in rural communities through the funding of projects that will create income and employment. The B.R.D.P is funded by the European Union and the Government of Belize. B.R.D.P’s planning, monitoring and evaluating specialist, Assad Magaña says today’s seminar will allow for the consultants to learn from each other and will foster an environment of collaboration rather than one of competition.

Assad Magaña, B.R.D.P.

“The objective of the seminar is three fold. The first objective is to give an opportunity for those interested service providers to learn more on the procedures that will be uses by the BRDP. Secondly, for us to explain to them the project that we have in the pipelines for the work plan for the period November 06 to June 07. These are projects that have already been table for consideration. We will require service providers to implement, monitor and evaluate these projects. At the same time these service providers will be able to formulate projects for the subsequent work program which commence in July of 07 to June of 08. The third objective of the seminar is to provide a forum for service providers to be able to have a time to interact and learn from each other.”

Assad Magana, planning, monitoring and evaluating specialist with the Belize Rural Development Program. The B-R-D-P project for the Orange Walk District will be introduced tomorrow in Santa Cruz Village. District Agriculture Manager, Belarmino Esquivel says that ten of the neediest villages in the district have been selected to take part in the project.  Esquivel speaks of the projects.

Belarmino Esquivel, District Agricultural Officer

“The projects we are currently working on right now are the soy meal production project this is for the Trial Farm women’s group. About 18 women will benefit from this project. This is to produce soy bean milk and to sell in the local market. The next one is the Cragetas Culturales. This is a tourism project in Indian church. At least ten beneficiaries, also a honey production project which is to support the bee keepers to improve and duplicate the amount of Bee hives that they have currently under production. Also we have a diversification project with the farmers of Farmers Association in the Orange Walk District. These are the four projects for the first phase and we are already gearing to formulate projects for the second phase which will be funded from July 07 to June 08.”

Belarmino Esquivel, Orange Walk District Agriculture Manager. Esquivel says that a women’s workshop to identify potential projects to assist women in rural communities will follow tomorrow’s introduction of the B-R-D-P project.

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