The People’s National Party (PNP) in Toledo is hosting their annual summer camps this month. The aim of the camps is to promote sustainable development.
Those who attend the first camp, which will begin on July 8, will be taught how to scuba dive. Wil Maheia, activist and PNP representative, told Amandala that their reason for doing scuba diving training is to help the children become more familiar with their marine environment.
He said that lots of foreigners come into the country and take up marine biology jobs, so they are hoping that the camp will inspire the youth to become more interested in the marine science field.
In addition to scuba diving, the campers will also be taught how to spearfish, and more specifically how to catch lionfish by spearfishing. Maheia said that this segment of the training will be focused on spreading awareness of the presence of the lionfish in Belizean waters. He said that commercial fishing is not done much in the area but hopefully the camp will be able to encourage fishers in the area to engage in lionfish fishing.
The second camp, which will begin on July 15, will focus on teaching the youngsters livelihood skills. Maheia said they will teach the campers how to use a machete and the children will be taken into the forest and shown the timber that has been subject to illegal foresting.
Through this effort, the youth will be able to see the value of the resources around them in the forest and how they can make use of the flora and fauna, he explained.
Maheia told us that the PNP always chooses areas of training that are geared at contributing to the community. Each year the campers are given a project to do before the camps are over.
Maheia said that last year’s assigned project was to construct a dorey. Dorey-building is an art that is being lost and through their training, the campers were promoting the knowledge of that art. This year the project will be to construct a “rustic dorm.” The campers will use the timber that has been left in the forest to build a house that will be used to accommodate out-district campers.
The attendees of the camps are between the ages of 12 and 18 years. About 30 youth from the Toledo District have signed up for the camp this year. Only 10 of those registrants were enrolled in the scuba diving training camp.