Plenty Belize: School Gardens Update

Mark Miller, Executive Director of Plenty Belize

In southern Belize, bordering Guatemala, Plenty Belize teaches students how to grow gardens at school and home, installs village water and solar energy systems to make clean water and electricity accessible, and provides small loans and assistance to women and micro-businesses for income generating projects. Plenty International’s goal is to raise $40,000 in 2012 in support of these efforts.

“Plenty Belize continues to be very busy working in the Toledo District, the best part of our jewel of a country Belize. Our GATE Program continues as our flagship, steering a course for improved nutrition, better self-sufficiency, increased organic agriculture, and improved education using school gardens.

Our Solar Pilot project in San Jose Village is off to a great start, with equipment on order, the village building the security fence and digging trenches for the wires.

Our Fishing Families Business Project is finally gearing up to begin helping 15 fishing families with alternative livelihoods.

Our work in the very remote village of Graham Creek to provide the entire village with piped potable water is now functional and nearly complete. Already there has been a significant decrease in absenteeism at school due to better health (less water borne diseases).”