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We stopped by and spoke the Registrar from the Department of Cooperatives, and the Eastern Division Region 1 commander about how the training for these youths were going:

Gareth Murillo - Registrar, Department of Cooperatives
"We are commemorating the International Day of Cooperatives. The first Saturday in July is commemorated as the International Day of Cooperatives, and so, as part of the activities around the day, we decided to have a collaboration with the Police Department, in terms of bringing in some youths from their programs to participate in a workshop entitled "Exploiting Entrepreneurial Opportunities through Collective of Cooperative Enterprises."

"Our Idea, or our intent - rather - is to inculcate that entrepreneurial spirit in these young people, that it is started at an early age, and that they consider, in particular, where the Belizean economy, that where it would be difficult for them to access all the resources as an individual, to start a business, that they can work together, and pool their resources to form a collective or a cooperative enterprise."

Sr. Supt. Howell Gillett - OC, ED Region 1
"The collaboration is between the police and the Department of Cooperatives, and we're very pleased for this engagement. There are many other stakeholders who are onboard, and those were mentioned a while ago, the Department of Environment, BELTRAIDE, The Credit Union League, the Bureau of Standards, the Belize Marketing and Development Cooperation, Foreign Trade. These are great stakeholders in the fight against crime in a strategic way, because if we empower young people in entrepreneurial skills, and let them seek job opportunities, we believe that we will have a better society in the coming months and years ahead of us."

"The Interaction we're having here today, would you believe that we have kids from Rocky Road. We also have kids from Mayflower sitting beside each other and interacting. So, we believe that if we help young people to engage at this early stage, then we may very well have a brighter future in terms of the gang situation."

Daniel Ortiz
"Have you even considered what you want to do when you get older?"

Jason Bernard - Participant
"Yes."

Daniel Ortiz
"What is that?"

Jason Bernard
"I want to become a gynecologist to help people."

And after this event, OC Gillett is already planning another event for the City's teenaged youths.

15 young men between the ages of 14 and 18 in the field of barbering will be getting barbering training, as a means of earning an honest living. The OC told us that he is hoping that these participants will see barbering as an alternative to a life of crime:

Sr. Supt. Howell Gillett - OC, ED Region 1
"We are also planning in the month of August, which is the summer break for kids. We're doing a session. Some 15 young people will be taught barbering. I believe Mr. Winston Harris, also known as 'Brick City', he'll be providing the location and the equipment, and Mr. Nicholas Ara from Z's Barber Shop, he will be doing the lessons with these young people. And when we're done, we believe they could go out and make some funds for themselves. We prefer for kids to make monies through lawful means, than having to go out and commit crimes against other members of the community, so that they have finances. So, it's a strategic move."

"We have to continue to apply the law to those who are hell-bent on not wanting to be good citizens. But, there are others we could reach to, even before they think of committing a crime."

The training will run from August 13, to the 21st.