Due to Belize’s economic and political pressures, much of the population experiences significant social and economic inequality, leading to severe disparities in access to services, particularly for children. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reports that about 49% of all Belizean children live in multidimensional poverty, lacking basic needs, including adequate nutrition and housing, clean drinking water, sanitation and education. The education system in Belize is particularly concerning as only 55% of children currently have access to early childhood education and again, only half of them continue to secondary school.

The World Bank defines learning poverty as being unable to read and understand short, age-appropriate text by age 10. In 2021, about 76% of all Belizean children at their late primary age were not proficient in reading. Reading is a gateway for learning as one progresses through school, so this lack of education and literacy severely restricts individual progress and undermines Belize’s broader efforts toward sustainable growth and poverty reduction. However, here are three nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working to improve education for children in Belize:

Ocean Academy

Caye Caulker Ocean Academy was founded in 2008. It provides a highly subsidized education to all its students, offering individualized attention, free tutoring and work studies. Through partnerships with local tourism industries, Ocean Academy offers students free apprenticeships in scuba diving, kayaking, fly fishing and windsurfing. These opportunities allow the students to become involved within their community, often leading to full-time employment offers after graduation. Before its opening, only 35% of students in Caye Caulker progressed past primary school. More than 90% have enrolled in high school, many becoming the first in their family to attend.

Holy Cross Education Foundation

The Holy Cross Education Foundation’s mission is to provide administrative and financial support to disadvantaged schools around Belize, giving the children the best possible quality education. It covers the construction and maintenance of the schools, staff salaries, classroom supplies, computer labs, office equipment and more. Moreover, it created a lunch program staffed with local women, allowing children access to a hot lunch without leaving campus. The program has consistently provided nutritional meals to more than 400 students daily.

Pathlight Belize

PathLight International was founded in 2007. It aims to empower impoverished children in Belize to receive a quality education, break away from poverty and reach their fullest potential. Through its Teaching Training program, PathLight equips Belizean teachers with formal training in various subjects alongside providing tuition, supplies and transportation for all students. Each student also receives a personalized mentor to assist with job readiness training, social skills training and leadership development. By the end of 2024, PathLight aims to become the leading NGO in Belize to achieve its ambition of having more than 60% of students graduate at the secondary school level.

Meaningful Impact

In light of pressing challenges, several nonprofit organizations have been working diligently in Belize to address the educational deficiencies and improve children’s general well-being, creating a tangible impact in improving academic outcomes and empowering the next generation. With ongoing support, there is hope that their efforts will elevate educational standards in Belize and allow Belizean children to break the cycle of generational poverty by obtaining the necessary skills and knowledge.

– Kewe Chen

Kewe is based in Memphis, TN, USA and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Picryl