This week the campus of the Belize Christian Academy in Belmopan became
an army camp. The campus is the site for the Belize Defense Force’s annual
youth cadet summer camp. 217 cadets from ages 12 to 16 are getting the army
experience and an escape from the city. 7News visited the camp today and found
some boy and girl soldiers in action.
Albert Johnson, Regimented Sergeant Major
“It includes basic lessons that is military flavour, if I may, which
includes map reading, signalling, and a little field craft besides first aid
and the civilian agency that comes in with its little social programs from time
to time.”
Kyle Encalada, Participant- 12 years old
“It is fun, exciting, you get to work with different people from around
the country. It is just fun.”
Keith Swift,
“Why did you want to be a part of it?”
Kyle Encalada,
“Because when I get older I want to join the BDF.”
Albert Johnson,
“To be honest with you, last year it was more challenging in terms
of convincing them to stay for a whole week but I believe the word has gone
around from the senior cadets that it is a nice place. It is a lot of challenges
but at the end of the day, you learn a lot more than if you would have stayed
home.”
Leneisha Tracey, Participant- 15 years old
“It is a good experience. It was wonderful but it is coming to an
end. I would miss a lot of people cause I got to know a lot of people.”
Keith Swift,
“Why did you want to be a part of it?”
Leneisha Tracey,
“Because I get a meet new people and have new friends and nothing
wasn’t home to do so I came to the camp to meet new people.”
Albert Johnson,
“If you look behind me, you will see that we are doing drill and drill
is the essence of discipline. You learn to turn, you learn to halt, you learn
to take instructions from the instructor. So that is the essence of discipline
and that is the meat of this program - to keep the children disciplined and
lead them in the direction that is positive all the time.”
The camp ends on Saturday. Parents who haven’t done so are encouraged
to visit their children.
For a more detailed forecast visit http://www.hydromet.gov.bz.
7NEWS
produced for broadcast by News Director Jules
Vasquez
Edited and Prepared for the internet by Keith
Swift
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