The community we serve

Students in a class room at Mount Carmel Primary School.

The ‘Waterhole’ is a rural neighborhood of Benque Viejo del Carmen in the Cayo District of Belize. The neighborhood extends down 11 miles of rough dirt road surrounded by beautiful farmland and jungle.

In the 2018-2019 school year we were able to provide scholarships for tuition and school supplies to twenty-one neighborhood children, attending five local schools.

Local students gathering for the bus that will take them back down our road.

The schools we work with

Mano Amiga BZ Scholaships (MAS) currently works with five local schools. Neighborhood students are enrolled at Mount Carmel Primary School, Mount Carmel High School, Howard Smith, Hills of Promise, and Mopan Technical High School, all in Benque Viejo.

Children heading into Mount Carmel Primary School in Benque Viejo del Carmen.
The front gate and grounds of Mount Carmel High School in Benque Viejo del Carmen.
Howard Smith School in Benque Viejo del Carmen.
Hills of Promise School in Benque Viejo del Carmen.
Mopan Technical High School in Benque Viejo del Carmen.

The Student Center

In September of 2018, Mano Amiga BZ founder Renie opened a Student Center in her home. Sensing a need for a place with electricity, an internet connection, computer equipment, and supplies, she converted the spare room in her home at BIB so that the neighborhood children could have a place to study and complete their school projects. Community members helped with setting up the space, providing supplies, funds, and even tutoring resources as needed. In March of 2019 the Student Center was officially welcomed under the umbrella of the Mano Amiga BZ.

The Student Center on its inaugural day in Sept 2018.
Students hard at work at the Student Center.

To contribute to the success of the students, the Mano Amiga BZ Scholarship fund, and the Student Center please consider making a donation today.