From a tiny seed of an idea in 2013, a few of us folks who live or own property at Better in Belize Ecovillage (BIB) put together a scholarship program for BIB workers’ families, and now we are extending our reach to our wider community!
In 2020 we changed our name from Waterhole Neighborhood Scholarships to Mano Amiga Belize Scholarships to align with other projects we have started and with the community we serve. Our goal is to provide funding to ensure that all school age children in our area in Belize’s Cayo district can attend school each year.
In Belize, there are many expenses for even basic primary school – students need uniforms in good condition, proper supplies, and even have to pay to get their report cards released. The expenses are almost always more than the families can afford, and often result in going into debt to insure that their children get a good education.
We hope to keep growing the program, and continuing it for years and years. We love the idea of giving back to the folks who work hard to make BIB work for us, and to our wider community. We are now funding our high school graduates who seek job training. We’ve started off small, but we need you to keep it going and growing. Donate today – any amount large or small – every bit helps!
Education is essential to economic development, especially for poor people in developing countries. Citizens who can read, calculate, and think critically have better economic opportunities, higher agricultural productivity, healthier children, and better reproductive health and rights. Fundamental educational skills form the basis for all future learning, but today too many students across the developing world are missing out. – “Quality Education in Developing Countries.” Hewlett Foundation News. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2014.
Helping promote a better quality of life for the family ensures that the children are healthy and best able to take advantage of their educational scholarships.
Mano Amiga Belize improves family health by sponsoring such non-scholarship neighborhood outreach projects as canning workshops, installing solar lighting in homes, and providing loans or grants to farm families to purchase or replace farming equipment, etc.
Solar lights in student homes
Please share this site with anyone you know who may want to contribute!