“I am proud to be a descendant of Ignacia and Cornelius Patrick. This donation is a testament of commitment, of sharing spaces, of giving back from a family whose members come from very humble beginnings. Repeating the words of Premier George Price, a story of ‘Good Belizeans’, in the context of Garifunaduau through the teachings of the Dabuyaba, ‘Au bun, Amuru nu’, translated as ‘I for You, and you for me’.” – I. Myrtle Cacho Palacio
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Jan. 23, 2025
(Below are excerpts taken from the remarks yesterday, Wednesday, January 22, 2025, by Arreini Palacio Morgan, great granddaughter of Ignacia Cacho, which were made at the Ignacia Cacho Library in Dangriga, Belize. Dr. Carolyn Cacho Bowman (left) in the picture above and I. Myrtle Cacho Palacio (right) are both daughters of Cornelius Patrick “Pat” Cacho.)
The People’s Archive is a program inviting Belizeans to share their family photos and stories. These will be scanned and uploaded to Access 501, with a demonstration upstairs. Teachers, students, and anyone can visit the website to view and read the stories. This initiative allows people to contribute to an archive built by the people, for the people.
Today’s ceremony marks the USpace Launch and the opening of the upper floor of the Ignacia Cacho Library. My great-grandmother passed before I was born, but her legacy lives on through her son, my grandfather, Cornelius Patrick Cacho. Ignacia was a woman of quiet strength, resilience, and love. In the 1940s and ’50s, as a Garifuna woman in Belize City, she defied societal norms. She managed household tasks, supported her son’s education, and even rescued her husband from financial ruin.
Ignacia and Lorenzo Cacho invested in real estate and made their home on King Street, near Pino’s Barber Shop, in Belize City. There, they raised Cornelius, who went on to excel academically, eventually earning an M.Sc. from the London School of Economics and a long career with the World Bank.
The Cacho family, through Cornelius, donated this land and building to the people of Dangriga. This is one of many family contributions, including support for the UWI Open Campus, the University of Belize Scholarship Program, the Belmopan Methodist High School, and the Pen Cayetano Music Program.
The Ignacia Cacho Library represents our family’s commitment to Dangriga’s growth. It’s not just a donation of money or land, but a symbol of love, and a call for others to give back to their communities.
I want to thank Rt. Hon Said Musa and Minister Fonseca for their support in bringing this project to life, and also the team at BNLSIS, Lusiola Castillo, and Ms. Sabal for their dedication. We, the Cacho family, proudly hand over this labor of love. I thank Namrita Balani and her team for making the USpace a reality. There’s great potential here, and we challenge the library to help channel it for the community’s benefit.