7 News Belize

Summer Camp By Soldiers
posted (July 25, 2019)
The annual BDF summer camp is well underway at the different outstations in the country including at Price Barracks in Ladyville, Camp Belizario in Cayo and Fairweather Camp in PG. Over 300 kids are participating in total this year. Today we stopped by Price Barracks tosee what the kids have been up to there. Courtney Weatherburne has the story.

Courtney Weatherburne reporting
For about 2 weeks the BDF Price Barracks in Ladyville has been transformed into a playground to kickstart their summer camp 2019. Kids from all over the country have been engaged in a number of fun and instructive activities on the compound.

There are many disciplines the kids can choose from including those that hone their creative skills.

Eleanor Ortega, Camp Director
"What we try to do is just to provide a lot of fun for them over the summer holiday and we have been doing arts and craft, we do paintings and drawings and this year we have actually integrated the whole process of proper table manners, so we are learning how to set a table, how to sit properly at a table, the boys learn how to pull out a chair, the girls learn how to sit properly at a table, how to use the utensils and stuff like that, we do baking as well. There is a whole lot of stuff that we do."

Deeryn Reyes, Participant
"We have been doing sewing, baking and other activities."

Courtney Weatherburne:
"What is your favorite thing to do here?"

Deeryn Reyes, Participant
"Baking."

Courtney Weatherburne:
"Tell us some of the things you have been baking? Cupcakes?"

Deeryn Reyes, Participant
"Peanut butter cupcakes, cookies and cinnamon roll."

For some kids painting and baking isn't their thing, so some follow the sound of music.

Kevin Campbell, Director, Music Belize Defense Force
"Our objective here for these two weeks was to introduce our children to music but more so to basic theory, that's the theoretical part, that is, the symbols as you can see on the board and there is also the practical aspect of it where we introduced the drum, the recorder, they can take that back to school. They did a bit of keyboarding as well and in addition guitar."

For the sportier and more outdoorsy bunch, there is football.

Cpt. Kenrick Martinez, Football Summer Camp Coordinator
"We start with the basics we end up teaching them the fundamentals of football, how to kick a ball, we teach them how to through a ball, discipline of course and the basic how to go over a football skills."

"Some of them come with some bright skills because they join previous summer camps before and we also organize some friendly games with them so they get the taste of losing, drawing a game and they managed to win as a team."

Limmar Singh, Participant
"I like Mr. JJ they teach we about workout, no disrespect if you don't know nothing, play like we are brother and sister and I like Mr. Shawn who bring all of us out to play football and 'mundialito'."

Another sport that involves kicking but not too much brother-sister bonding is taekwondo. It's a Korean martial art involving head-height kicks and other demanding moves.

Edwardo Kiow, Taekwondo Instructor
"These kids are learning the summer camp, discipline, self-defense, they are learning about the taekwondo history and how to conduct themselves on the streets because taekwondo is a military martial arts, so we teach them self-defense so when someone try to hijack them or hurt them they know how to defend themselves."

The only defending the kids have to do in this next discipline is against the water, aside from that these kids get to enjoy the refreshing water under the summer sun.

Staff Sgt. Amin Aba, Physiotherapist, BDF
"As part of the instructions, the paper goes out with the safety and the action plan and one of three main things on that was for the good swimmers to get stronger, weak swimmers to get stronger and the people who can't swim to learn how to swim."

Lt. Col. Brandon Garcia, BDF Chief of Staff
"It is important for these kids for us to interact with them to have them see what the BDF actually provides other than maintaining security of our country. It is important for these kids during the summer to learn life skills we also provide that."

Price Barracks is hosting 247 kids. This is the first phase of the summer camp. It began on the 16th of July and it ends tomorrow. The second phase of the summer camp will commence on August 5th to the 16th. The BDF hope to host another 300 more kids for the second phase so if you want your kids to be enrolled in the summer camp, you can download an application form from the BDF website or from their facebook page then submit it to officials at price barracks.

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

7 News Belize