7 News Belize

Lifeline, More Life To Needy Students
posted (July 17, 2020)
Turning now to education - as you heard in our last segment the opening day for school is fast arriving. It's a cause fo anxiety about COVID, but it's also a cause for panic in cash strapped parents who have to scrape together funds for books, supplies, uniforms and fees.

And while that's true for most families it's not the case for 2,452 lucky kids from rural and underprivileged schools whose entire 2020-2021 tuition will be covered by Kim Simplis Barrow's Lifeline Foundation. Taking the stage at Wednesday's announcement ceremony, education CEO Carol Babb said that schools are in need of support.

Carol Babb, CEO, Ministry of Education
"The Ministry of education states that no child should be denied admission because of being unable to pay a registration fee but this donation today is bigger than a registration fee. We're living in a new norm where schools are in need of support."

Brian Watson, Principal, El Progreso Community Primary School
"I have the privilege this morning of representing a plethora of students in schools across our country who are experiencing financial hardships in these difficult times."

"Lifeline foundation along with all of their sponsors have come along with their tuition program to help us do just that. It's not possible for every principal in the room to get up and say how this is going to benefit their schools but I can tell you what these funds can do for our schools. Allowing the parents to pay their school fees at the beginning of the year at a difficult time like this allows us to be able to get enhancements to our infrastructure at a level to make sure that the children are safe when schools reopen in August with handwashing stations and additional toilets that we desperately need at our school."

Mrs. Kim Simplis Barrow, Founder, Lifeline Foundation
"We're fully aware that this is the most difficult time for parents as they prepare to get their children ready to go back to school and into the classrooms last week the lifeline foundation held it's strategic meeting and at that meeting, we carefully crafted a way forward for our organization. We recruited our efforts to our Belizean children trying to ensure that no child id left behind and that the impact is felt countrywide especially for under-privileged children."

Students of the following schools wont have to pay fees; they are:
Calvary Temple, the Muslim Community, Lucky Strike Government, St. Mary's Anglican, Crooked Tree Government, Gales Point Government and Holy Cross Anglican from the Belize District; Indian Church, San Carlos and Fireburn Government Schools in Orange Walk; San Antonio Government school in the Corozal District; Iguana Creek, Hidden Paradise and El Progresso Government Schools in Cayo; Living Word, Trio, Golden Stream and Medina Bank Government schools in the Toledo District

The exact value of the donation to the eighteen schools is BZ$129,565.00 which represents portions of funds raised by Lifeline in both 2019 and 2020.

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