Eluide Miller

Eluide Miller, National Celebrations Commission

“We are absolutely looking forward to the Belize at Forty-five celebrations this year. As it relates to the theme competition, as you highlighted, last week Friday, I believe February twentieth, the call went out for the Belize at Forty-five theme competition for this year. Last year, this competition saw just under four hundred submissions and the winning theme, of course, was “Belize at Forty-four: Stronger Together, Rising Forever.” The commission felt that that really captured the spirit of our nation at that time. And, of course, last year we had two winners who were the co-authors of that submission. And so, this competition is really significant for us. The criteria is very straightforward, submissions must be no more than ten words. So we like a theme or submissions that are extremely concise, straight to the point but really captures the Belizean spirit during the independence season. The other criteria is that each person has only up to three entries. So if you’re making a submission, you can make a submission, but no more than three entries or else your submissions will be disqualified. We are also prohibiting the use of AI this year, and so entries will be tested for an AI score and those who exceed a certain percentage, forty to fifty percent, will be disqualified. Of course, the deadline has been set for early April. April tenth, to be precise, end of the day on April tenth. The price is being increased to two thousand dollars this year, as opposed to one thousand dollars, which it has been for the past couple of years.”

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

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The post New Rules, Bigger Prize as ‘Belize at 45’ Competition Begins first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

                   Rolando Cocom

Rolando Cocom, Director, Institute of Social & Cultural Research

“Over the weekend, on Saturday, we celebrated, as a global community, International Mother Languages Day and on that occasion, it was very special for us at the regional level within Central America because we convened in Guatemala to acknowledge and to launch a language plan called the Indigenous Language Plan for Central America. Over that event and throughout the past few months, we’ve been engaged with our Central American neighbors to assess the situation when it comes to indigenous languages in the region and to identify some common objectives that we can agree on, to preserve, to promote, to give international visibility about the need for language safeguarding.”

                   Delmer Tzib

Delmer Tzib, Coordinator, Intercultural Indigenous Language Institute, UB

“The interaction, or the regional engagement for indigenous languages has started for months. It’s not something that just came about. We’ve been engaged with investigations on the situation in Belize, along with other partners in the region. So we’ve working along with the Iber-American Indigenous Language Institute and learning, really, what is the context of the region. As it relates to the experience, itself, I think there are two important messages to take from it. The first one is that indigenous languages are important for heritage. But the other element also, is that it is a right. It is a right that you have to speak your mother tongue. It is a right to share your mother tongue and to keep on transmitting it from generation to generation.”

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

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The post Central America Unites to Safeguard Indigenous Languages first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

                           Rafael Mona

Rafael Mona, Central American Cultural & Education Coordination

“This workshop is about African descendants’ heritage and it’s one of the multinational products of Central America, about Afro-descendants and African descendant heritage. And the participants are the National Garifuna Council and the National Kriol Council of Belize. They are representatives of the communities, of the African descendants communities in Belize.

                  Wilford Felix

Wilford Felix, President, National Kriol Council

“This workshop is very significant in terms of our participation regionally, as Afro-descendants, with specific focus on documenting, as it’s referred to, inventorying our intangible cultural heritage. Intangible cultural heritage as a whole represents, as it’s called, intangible, the aspects of our heritage that can be passed won from generation to generation without the use of an artifact. So this speaks specifically to us as Afro-descendants, referring to our oral traditions and being able to learn the international methodologies to inventory our intangible cultural heritage, allow us to work closer with communities and preserve those age-old wisdoms that you can only get, in most cases, from your granny and your grandpa.”

And as that workshop continues, Belizean cultural leaders say they’re committed to keeping those ancestral stories and traditions alive for the generations coming next.

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

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The post Belize Joins Regional Push to Preserve Afro‑Descendant Heritage first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

Shane Williams, Reporting

Up in the hills of San Ignacio sits a campus many in Cayo proudly call their school of choice, Sacred Heart College. With more than nine hundred students filling the high‑school classrooms, the place buzzes with energy, ambition, and a strong sense of faith. But administrators say Sacred Heart is defined by its philosophy, not it’s size.

                  Berta Cambranes

Dr. Berta Cambranes, President, Sacred Heart College

“SHC is a Catholic institution, and we’re guided by Catholic ethos. Our mission is to create a holistic individual. We focus of course on academics and in addition to that we also look at the arts. For example, we have art, we have music, we look at sports. Our PE classes are very important to us. Our students are engaged in all the sporting competitions that we have. We also look at spiritual, which is very important to us. We have our masses every week. In addition to that, our students also participate once a year in a retreat.”

Holistic education here means balance. For Campus Ministry Director and Junior College lecturer Emmanuel Mangar, one of the most visible examples of that formation is the school choir.

                Emmanuel Mangar

Emmanuel Mangar, Campus Ministry Director

“These students that are here in the choir, some of them started with the choir three years ago and have stayed with us since, and they’ve grown in their leadership roles. Just having courage to maybe speak right. Their public speaking has definitely improved in front of other students, in front of audiences. Think about it, we have mass every week. And it is close to five hundred to a thousand students weekly.”

The choir is more than music, it’s mentorship, discipline, and spiritual leadership. From one guitar and a small sound system, the program has grown to nearly twenty singers, multiple musicians and full technical support. And the skills students develop don’t stay on campus.

                       Fernando Mesh

Fernando Mesh, Student, Class 4G

“I feel like being in the choir helped me a lot develop musically, thanks to Mr. Mangar. I developed a lot of musical abilities and I am, I usually go host events around town and thing, and that has helped me a lot, yeah. I’m gonna continue doing that in the future.”

But Sacred Heart’s holistic vision reaches far beyond the chapel. In classrooms and clubs, students are encouraged to sharpen their intellect and discover new interests. For Bianca Reyes, her choice is the chess club.

                             Bianca Reyes

Bianca Reyes, Class 4D

“Last year in December I won best female player for the Blitz Tournament. That’s three minutes each. So I think that’s a very fond memory.”

Shane Williams

“What can other students who are thinking about coming here look forward to?”

Bianca Reyes

“I would say them other clubs that we have. It’s not just chess club, it’s if you wanna be more active in the community we have Red Cross. We have the Interact Club that’s also here. So you have a lot of options.”

With choices ranging from chess club to Interact and Red Cross to drama, students say there’s something for everyone to feel at home. And when challenges arise, there is support.

                       Amanda Dixon

Amanda Dixon, High School Counselor

“We really want to offer space where students feel safe so that they know that they’re not alone on their transition in high school because. Different forms have different concerns for us, and developmentally it’s a huge part of the adolescence. So we’re there to support them on their journey, both academically, because at Sacred Heart we’re really about holistic education. So not just with their academic struggles, but their peer struggles, their family struggles or just understanding their identity. So we really want to advocate for our students at the counseling department”

Leadership, too, is cultivated intentionally. Lyna Silva and Chloe Martinez are the Student Council President and Head Prefect.

                             Lyna Silva

Lyna Silva, Student Council President

“To me what it means to be a Sacred Heart student is putting your all in everything that you do, performing to the best of your ability and always keeping God first in whatever you do.”

                           Chloe Martinez

Chloe Martinez, Head Prefect

“I feel like Sacred Heart College, all the students here wear their white and grey with pride and anybody that came here can say that too.”

For President Dr. Berta Cambranes, the hope is that students carry that white and grey pride throughout their lives after SHC.

Dr. Berta Cambranes

“We prepare students holistically, so when you’re getting a graduate from Sacred Heart, you know that it’s a well-rounded individual.”

And maybe that’s the true heartbeat of Sacred Heart College, an education focused not just on turning out graduates, but on shaping grounded, confident young people ready to give back to their communities. In San Ignacio, for Kolcha Tuesday, Shane Williams for News Five.

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

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The post Beyond Textbooks: Sacred Heart College’s Whole‑Student Mission first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

Aruderio Carrillo

Aruderio Carrillo, Artist

“ I am so proud. I always wanted to paint a Sarteneja sign until that project came out and I was so happy to do it.”

Aruderio Carrillo didn’t just grow up in Sarteneja Village, he carries the community in his heart. So, when someone asked if he’d take on the job of painting the village’s welcome sign, he didn’t hesitate. He jumped in with both feet. Carrillo refused to take a single dollar for his time or talent. The only money he accepted from the local youth group was for paint and supplies. Everything else, the design and the hours, he gave freely. It was his way of giving back to the place that shaped him.

Aruderio Carrillo

“I was approached by the Sarteneja Youth Group with Ms. Mora for the first time she approached me to paint the sign. Miss Stephanie came with idea of the sunset, and I think, which is a good idea, sunset because here in Sarteneja the sunsets are so, so beautiful.”

Carrillo says the concept quickly took shape, inspired by one of the village’s most breathtaking features. But the mural goes far beyond a sunset. Every brushstroke reflects daily life in this coastal community.

Aruderio Carrillo

“ For example the palm tree, I decide to palm trees so that represent the beaches of Sarteneja. The fishermen, the guy with the canoe, the local fishermen. And of course the regatta, those boats that represent the regatta and those are wooden boats. And I think here in Sarteneja is the only place that they still would build wooden boats.”

The project meant something deeper to Carrillo. The phrase on the sign “Where the Sun Meets the Water” captures a view locals know well.

Aruderio Carrillo

“I know it doesn’t sound right because some say it where the suns meet the water, but we just say where the sun on the water, because on the summer, the sun more like on the water than inland.”

Beyond art, there’s the heart of the village itself.

Aruderio Carrillo

“It’s a small village, peaceful, lovely as you could see. We have different places to visit here, you know. Also the sea, which is good. And the people are so friendly here.”

Darnel Cruz, the Village Council Secretary, says the sign truly reflects Sarteneja’s long-standing pride as a fishing community with deep cultural traditions.

Darnel Cruz

Darnel Cruz, Village Council Secretary, Sarteneja

“ The drawings, if you might have seen it, is depicting what, what CJA is about. It has been painted over, but the idea is there cja, a fishing community. Eh, people, how friendly, how lovely the people are. Our culture, we share, eh, well, we mostly, we are mesti here in Sarnia, no, but almost more than ninety percent of the men are, are fishermen. So the idea will be there. And this idea, well, what I know, eh, came about, well, as I mentioned this initial youth group was, were the ones that worked towards this. And they wanted, well, almost in many places within Belize, they were. Starting to erect these types of signs. No. And they wanted certain, they had to be part of that also, that initiative. So they, they had a and we couldn’t say no to that. We, we had to go with, with development. No. So we, we are pro-development and it looks beautiful and it’s attractive. We have many visitors coming to the village and that’s one of their stuff. In front of the sign, snap some pictures and, you know, have, have fun in the village.”

The sign has quickly become a favorite photo stop for visitors and a symbol of local pride. And if you’re thinking of making the trip north, Cruz says there’s no better time than the upcoming Easter season.

Darnel Cruz

“We want to invite people to come out, visit our village see what we have to offer. One of the best times to visit during these is Easter season. We have the seafood fest that we had in the month of October. Now we’re having Easter. It’ll be a whole weekend of events that we will have. We will have a, a marathon, the regatta regatta that we have. And I invite everybody to come out. Come out and enjoy. At least for that weekend. Know more about Sarteneja.”

From its golden sunsets to its wooden boats and welcoming people, Sarteneja’s new sign stands as a colorful symbol for a village proud of its history and culture. Shane Williams for News Five.

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

Watch the full newscast here:

The post Colorful Village Sign Becomes Symbol of Sarteneja Pride first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

The Independence High School Drum Corps has been around for more than a decade, but it truly hit its stride when Band Director Aretha Flores came on board. Under her leadership, the group stepped onto the national stage, winning gold at its first Belize Band Fest in 2023, taking silver in 2024, and reclaiming the top spot at home in 2025. With just a month to go before the 2026 competition, it’s clear that discipline is far more than a pastime for these students. It’s part of who they are.

Alyssa Watson

Alyssa Watson, Senior Member, IHS Drum Corps.

“Well I just love dancing overall and I always wanted to be a part of a band. And this band is just super special to me because we all are one. We are a family and I love everyone here at the band. It makes my school life enjoyable and better because some days I can be stressed about schoolwork and just thinking about oh I have practice today and all that stress just leaves when I am dancing.”

Jevon Robateau

Jevon Robateau, Section Leader, IHS Drum Corps

 “I enjoy the discipline. That always comes first. Our band coordinator pushed discipline and the love. We are like a family.”

The IHS Drum Corps is a family. More than one hundred and twenty members move as one, blending crisp rhythms with eye‑catching choreography to create a sound and style all their own. Band Director Aretha Flores is the head of this family, and she runs a tight ship. At the helm is Band Director Aretha Flores, who keeps the entire family running with precision.

Aretha Flores

Aretha Flores, Band Director, IHS Drum Corps

“The first thing we do is create our beats and that is like the hardest, because we don’t duplicate. We don’t do replicas. We try to be very creative. We have a whole world of music out there. So, I stress my students, listen I don’t want to hear what I have heard before. Afterwards it is so easy. Well, I have to have the theme. That is the hardest part for me. I have to know what I will portray out there and as a teacher I want everything to be a lesson. So, I have to create a theme and take it to the band leader, who is my son.”

Iley Flores is the musical mastermind. With some help from his section members, he creates the music that group dances to and the school is proud of calling its unique sound.

Iley Flores

Iley Flores, Band Leader, IHS Drum Corps

“So I really love to listen to music. Me and my mom would play a random beat on the speaker or if we hear songs at parties, my mom would be like oh Iley I will send you this song. I would go in my room and make the song and the next day at practice I would tell my band members and we will grab our instruments and start. To me I love all the genres of music, the Spanish, Soca, Dancehall, Punta.”

Dejaune Cayetano

Dejaune Cayetano, Bass Leader, IHS Drum Corps

“So making a beat is very hard, but Ms. A always come with ideas for us so that we can make new beats.”

Independence High School may have more than nine hundred students and over fifty teachers, but when it comes to the drum corps, everyone, especially the members, keeps things tightly under wraps. That means no phones during practice sessions and a commitment to never sharing band choreography and music with outsiders.

Aretha Flores

“One of the beauties about Independence High School Drum Corps is the diversity. If you look at the members on the band, it’s like Belize. You see Garifuna, East Indian, Mestizo, Maya, Mennonite, Creole, it is beautiful.”

With Aretha Flores leading the Drum Corps, students get one constant reminder: school comes first. Their grades decide how much they get to perform. It’s a sacrifice, but one the students are willing to make.

Veronyka Castillo

Veronyka Castillo, Member, IHS Drum Corps

“The discipline of the band increases my dedication towards my school work because Ms. A always puts the school first before the band.”

Caidyn Pandy

Caidyn Pandy, Flag Leader, IHS Drum Corps

“I came to this band and I had no confidence, and now I have confidence in myself.”

Colleen Thompson

Colleen Thompson, Dancer, IHS Drum Corps

“Creating bonds with a lot of other people, males, females, you meet and you learn and gain experience, and you gain discipline.”

As these students get ready to step onto the national stage once again, they’re carrying more than their instruments, they’re carrying the values that define Independence High School. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

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The post Inside the Drum Corps Powering Independence High School first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

Lee Mark Chang

Lee Mark Chang, Owner, Chon San Palace

“I get  I get to do the regular new year, which is January first, and I get to do the Chinese New Year every year. So the more holiday, the better. Unfortunately that I still have to work. So I have a lot of customers who needs their Chon San fix. So I have to come to work on those two holidays. But yesterday was the Eve. Today is the actual New Year’s. New Year’s goes for nine days, and it’s a long weekend in the Asian countries. In Belize, it’s, you know, we try to make the most of what we have. Like today I’m going to have dinner with my parents, with my son and daughter, so we’re gonna have a family dinner. I believe that the Chinese Association have some celebration set up for this weekend. Sunday will be the big function. So I’m also going be there also and we’re catering for that function also. So it’s gonna be a nice buffet nine course meal.”

Britney Gordon

“So, as we know, you know, you’re a known face in Belize known among a lot of people. So everyone that comes here is celebrating with yo. What does it mean to you to be able to share this little bit of your culture with Belize here?”

Lee Mark Chang

“It’s good when you, when you have a lot of different, like, cultural traditions you know more, you see more, you eat more. You eat more for sure. And it  just, it’s just nice being different, you know? And one of the good things about this is that we are a melting pot, you know? And so we continue to melt.”

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The post Year of the Horse Celebrated with Belizean Flair first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

At the Saint Catherine Academy gym, the crowd may bring the noise, but it’s the cheer team that brings the fire. For more than twenty years, these spirited athletes have rallied behind every SCA sports team, keeping the energy high and giving players that extra push when it matters most. And guiding them is teacher Tamera Locke, a former SCA cheerleader herself, who now coaches the squad to step out with confidence every time they pull on their uniforms and grab their pom‑poms.

                      Tamera Locke

Tamera Locke, Cheer Moderator

“The cheer team is like the main support team system here at SCA so we get them ready through preparation. So it’s not just a one season just for one sport. The cheer team is an all year-round sport. So we have them practice from summer. So they have their summer practice where they come in and they do cheers. They get ready for pep rallies because that’s part of their job as well. They do pep rallies, get the school ready for games before the season starts, and then they go to the games themself and they cheer for them. with as much joy has they have.”

The squad is now twenty‑five girls strong, representing all four academic levels, and getting a spot on that lineup is no walk‑in. Every hopeful must push through a series of drills that test not just their athletic ability, but their commitment and their sense of responsibility. It’s all designed to make sure that when these girls step out on the court, they’re more than performers, they’re the voice that fires up the entire student body.

Tamera Locke

“It’s important because the team needs that support and sometimes the entire school can’t make it. And so we have a represented representation of the school here. And so the cheers, the cheerleaders, they do just that. They’re just the main support, the heart of the school.”

Seventeen-year-old Kalise Kisling isn’t spending her birthday with cake and candles, she’s spending it on the court, getting her squad game‑ready. As team captain, and a proud member of the cheer squad since her freshman year, Kalise sees every matchup as a chance to pump up school spirit and build even stronger bonds with the girls she leads.

                       Kalise Kisling

Kalise Kisling, Captain, SCA Cheerleaders

“I feel as though we play  a very strong role in the student like school spirit section. There are days whereby it’s just us supporting our team. So I feel we don’t miss a game. And even if the student body is not able to come out, then we are always there to give the team that the moral sport that they need.”

For thirty straight years, SCA has dominated the Central Secondary Schools Sports Association Girls’ Volleyball Championship, bringing home gold every single season and cementing their legacy as the team to beat. It’s a badge of honor that the team wears with pride.

                       Sara Safa

Sara Safa, Captain, SCA Volleyball Team

“I love the cheer team the cheer team. We definitely have a strong connection. They’re there for every single day game. They have not missed one yet, and they’re usually like behind us while we’re playing. So when I would go serve, they would be like, you got this, Sara. Get it in. You got it. And I’ll be like, oh my gosh, stop. You’re making me smile. You’re making me a little nervous. But their support definitely helps us a lot. It shows that. They’re by our side, despite whether we lose the point or we win the point,”

The team trains twice a week, ramping up to daily sessions before pep rallies. And their commitment doesn’t stop when school does, some girls even spend their summer break coming up with new chants and routines.

Tamera Locke

“Cheers are made up of stomps and chants that they themselves make up them themselves. So that’s what they do during the summer. And then they also do for pep rallies, they do dances, they do splits, stunts, back flips. So we have some very athletic girls here as well. So we want to make sure that they know that chair is not just being in a short skirt, but they also put the hard work and the talent into it.”

And helping to crank up that energy even more is Mercy the Seahawk, the school’s beloved mascot, who jumps right in with the squad to get the crowd roaring. Libero, Demi Solano, always looks forward to seeing the energy the squad will bring to each game.

                      Demi Solano

Demi Solano, Libero, SCA Volleyball Team 

“We’re like an girls school, so a lot of sisterhood. We always support each other so much. We like celebrate each other’s success a lot and so we know our weaknesses and our strengths, so we work together to become one team and I think that’s really important for any successful team to have.”

Britney Gordon

“Do you think that balances out with the support from the cheer team? Is there a sisterhood there?”

Demi Solano

“Oh yeah, of course. I think our cheerleader just give an extra amount of support and more, school spirit to our team and just like uplifts us. If we’re like losing some points, we get that back from our cheerleader, I think. So they play a really big role in our success.”

At Saint Catherine Academy, sisterhood comes alive at every game, as players and cheerleaders celebrate every win together, moving as one, united and unstoppable. Britney Gordon for News Five.

The post SCA Cheer Squad Powers a Legacy of Sisterhood first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Cooking may be an art, but it’s also a science, and for the past five months, thirteen chefs from across Belize have been pushing themselves to master both. Today, all that hard work paid off. The group received their culinary certifications from the American Culinary Federation, thanks to a partnership with the Belize Tourism Board. BTB’s Director of Cruise and Capacity Development, Lloyd Enriquez, explains what the program brought to the table and how it’s helping to elevate Belizean cuisine.

Lloyd Enriquez

Lloyd Enriquez, Director of Cruise & Capacity Dev., Belize Tourism Board

“This is a part of a journey that  e’ve embarked upon to build tourism capacity or capacity in the tourism industry. We’ve formed MOUs in the American Culinary Federation and the American Hotel and Lodging Education Institute. Both of those bodies are certification bodies that allow persons to build to move from one level to another. They can start at a very base level and then move their way up all the way up to executive level.It is world renowned certification. So they can actually take the certification and work anywhere in the world. But of course, we want to retain our talent, build our talent, and retain it here in Belize.”

The training included certifications for Sous Chefs, Chefs de Cuisine, and Executive Chefs. Sean Kuylen, a familiar face across Belize, is now a certified Executive Chef.

Sean Kuylen

Sean Kuylen, Certified Executive Chef

“We have jankro belly and thing but that is not an excuse.  People are coming to the country today with celiac diseases and allergies. But we have to understand what that means. Fortunately for me as a Belizean chef, my culture satisfy all these things. Garifuna, lactose intolerant, coconut milk, masa. But now you have to add the science to it. So this certification is adding the science to it, and as I mentioned in my speeches is no easy feat. There’s only less than six thousand  people certified executive chefs in the United States. For pastry there’s only less than ten certified executives, pastry chefs in the whole world.”

Kuylen emphasized the importance of following your passion while still showing up with professionalism. For chef Michael Acal, better known as Maya Mike, that message hits home. He’s been in the kitchen for more than a decade, starting out as a dishwasher before working his way up. Today’s certification, he says, is a major honor and a defining moment in his culinary journey.

Michael Acal

Michael Acal, Certified Chef De Cuisine

“This training is probably over five, six months. That’s the pressure there, some of us, even myself, I was a little bit little bit back of with it, I was I had to catch up with the crew and so about, it’s four or five tough months for starting late nights, as Chef Sean mentioned earlier. Not going to sleep three, four o’clock in the morning. And yeah, I think it, I deserve it. We deserve it together.”

Ennel Valdez has spent more than fifteen years sharpening his skills in the culinary world, and he’s now passing that knowledge on as an instructor at the Cayo Center for Employment Training. Today, he added a major milestone to his résumé, becoming a Certified Chef. He says the achievement gives him an even stronger platform to help shape and inspire the next generation of Belizean culinary talent.

Ennel Valdez

Ennel Valdez, Certified Executive Chef

“For me, this was definitely an eye-opening. It marks a before and after. So from here we can only get better and move on together as young chefs, I would say because we do have a lot of energy and the kids coming behind us, they’re greedy, they’re hungry, and we also have to put our part with what we’ve learned to pass on the information, pass on the knowledge. I mostly say thanks to Chef Kuylen because he does hire us a lot and we come and we get a lot of hands-on work in this gathering. And they also get to explore our country.”

Participants say the certification was tough to earn and required multiple attempts at several stages of the exam. Isela Jimenez, now a certified sous chef, is excited for where this achievement will take her in her culinary journey.

Isela Jimenez

Isela Jimenez, Certified Sous Chef 

“It was challenging. I won’t lie. It was very challenging but dedication, discipline makes to a great success. Many nights if not sleeping well but yes I made it through. I push myself. It’s not the stop for me, I will continue growing and I will continue uplifting the kitchens where I work and I am here to help the company build themselves and build myself as well.”

The Belize Tourism Board says that this certification raises the bar for culinary excellence in Belize and strengthens our reputation as a top regional food destination. The board also plans to take the initiative a step further and establish a permanent training facility in Belize. Britney Gordon for News Five.

The post 13 Belizean Chefs Complete Culinary Certification Program first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

Shane Williams, Reporting

Tucked away in the tranquil haven that is Trinidad Village, the Belize High School of Agriculture offers free secondary education, complete with daily nutritious meals, transportation and hands-on training that blends academics with real-world skills.

                      Abel Celiz

Abel Celiz, Principal, Belize High School of Agriculture

“What is unique about Belize High School of Agriculture is that we are an institution that emphasizes on agriculture. We have a wide range of agriculture programs that provide, that give students the skills, real life skills and practical experiences so that they can become productive citizens.”

Shane Williams

“Tell us what we would experience here on a day-to-day basis with the students.”

Abel Celiz

“What you will see every day is students working out in the sun planting and taking care of all the different plants that we have. And we also have different programs. Like I said, some of them take care of the sheep. We have tilapia farming. We have poultry, that includes layers and broilers. And also we have Apiculture, beekeeping. So students are involved in a lot of activities on a daily basis.”

Agriculture isn’t an afterthought here at BHSA, it’s the foundation. Students learn modern farming practices, animal husbandry, environmental stewardship and leadership, preparing them not just for exams, but for life.

                        Delsi Deodanes

Delsi Deodanes, Belize High School of Agriculture

“It’s wonderful. It’s like being with a family that always gives you love with friendship. And in agriculture I feel good because I am from San Carlos and we practice agriculture. And we plant, we farm, we harvest our own food. We sell in the market and being here I feel like if I am in my village, my home where I have grown.”

For many students, the experience is transformative. Free tuition removes financial barriers, while a safe, structured environment allows young people from across Belize to discover their potential.

                      Zaire Gonzalez

Zaire Gonzalez, Student, Belize High School of Agriculture

“Yeah, I see it as a huge benefit because I live with my mom and two brothers. So, I work part-time in the evenings and Saturdays and Sundays too to help my mom and help myself as well with the things I need here and there. So it is something good. I come to learn and I’m looking forward to finishing my 4th form and graduating. I’ve liked the school so far, and I’ve enjoyed the journey here.”

Beyond the fields, students thrive in sports, culture clubs, cadets, music, and student government, building confidence and discipline along the way. From classroom instruction to agricultural plots, from team sports to national celebrations, BHSA prides itself on shaping well-rounded students rooted in Belizean culture. With a clear mission and a growing vision, the Belize High School of Agriculture is cultivating the leaders of tomorrow. Ernesto Pech is the school’s Director of Agriculture. He has been at BHSA for twenty-nine years and has taught some of today’s policymakers.

                    Ernesto Pech

Ernesto Pech, Director of Agriculture, Belize High School of Agriculture

“Individuals Graduating out of BHSA have been exemplary; for example, right now the Chief Agricultural Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture graduated from here Dr. Pasqual. Most of them have been successful. They have become – they have done their degrees. They have their Masters. There is this other young man as well, Luciano Chi, who works for SIRDI. He also has his doctorate degree, graduated from BHSA. We have Mr. Esquivel who is – I think is also a little underneath the Chief Agricultural Officer, he is one of the managers, directors in the Ministry of Agriculture as well, another graduate from BHSA.”

Second Form student Tracy Mojica is among hundreds of students from Northern Belize hoping to follow in the footsteps of the school’s distinguished graduates.

                        Tracy Mojica

Tracy Mojica, Student, Belize High School of Agriculture

“I am from San Felipe Village and my village has a lot to do about cattle. And I want to show the world that we girls can be as well farmers and so they know not only males can be farmers and we can do it.”

Abel Celiz

“I just encourage those in standard six in primary school to join our institution because here we teach them not only the by the books, but also with each them the skills necessary that they can become productive citizens, especially in the agriculture sector.”

You can find some of BHSA’s hottest products in northern shops. This is a school proving that when education meets community’s needs, the seeds planted today will bloom wonderfully tomorrow. For News Five’s Kolcha Tuesday, I’m Shane Williams reporting from the Belize High School of Agriculture.

The post Inside Belize’s Agriculture High School Where Students Grow Futures first appeared on Greater Belize Media.