San Victor and Patchakan Village, Corozal, Mon. Apr. 20, 2021– On February 8, 2021, the Ministry of Human Development, Families and Indigenous People’s Affairs received a donation of 523 bales of fabric from the Embassy of Taiwan, through Ambassador H.E. David K.C. Chien. Since then, the ministry has distributed the fabric to a local network of women’s groups with the help of the Belize Defence Force. Today, the women’s groups in Corozal hosted an exhibit in the villages of San Victor and Patchakan to display their crafts to the ministry and their donors.

This project, spearheaded by the Ministry of Human Development, Families and Indigenous People’s Affairs, has been aimed at creating viable economic activities that could enable women across the country to secure a source of income.

Currently 6 working women’s groups in Corozal, 4 in Orange Walk, 8 in Cayo, 9 in Belize, 5 in Stann Creek and 7 in Toledo are participating in the initiative. The department intends to boost the presence of these women’s groups in the local market by providing training that will impart skills to them in quality control, as well as by helping them to form partnerships with the community and hosting open day and social marketing activities.

In her opening remarks, Anna Williams, Director of the Women’s Department, said, “We strongly believe that empowering women is essential to the health and social development of families, communities and countries.We believe that when women are living a safe, fulfilled and productive life, they can reach their full potential. We also believe that empowering women and girls is the key to economic growth, political stability and social transformation.”

Minister Dolores Balderamos Garcia boasted of the long-reaching network her department has developed. “We will try to form more women’s groups, sewing groups, so that we can really take advantage of the talent that is out there but also give the employment and entrepreneurial opportunities that will empower our communities,” she said.

Taiwanese Ambassador, H.E. David K.C. Chien, who was also in attendance, said that he felt thankful and honored to have had the privilege to play a role in allowing the women in the community to express themselves through innovative arts. Their dedication and artistry reassured him that Taiwan’s donation was not in vain, Chien said. “It is great to see that that donation has made a positive impact on women’s empowerment. We sincerely hope that donation could help to foster and enhance the economic development in Belize, especially facilitating the recovery of the Belizean people,” he further remarked.

Chien stated that his foremost mission is to strengthen Taiwan’s relations with Belize. He pledged that Taiwan will use all its efforts and resources to collaborate with the Belizean government.

One of the participants in the initiative, Amarily Teck, stated, “This assistance from Taiwan has been very appreciated.” Teck along with other women from the group expressed how supportive the community was of their efforts and thanked Taiwan for their generous donation.