Caribbean News
AMEXCID and FAO Facilitate School Feeding Training in Belize
#Belize, December 29, 2023 – In an effort to strengthen the capacity of individuals involved in school feeding programs and promote healthy eating habits among school children, the Belizean component of the Mesoamerica Hunger-Free AMEXCID-FAO program conducted a series of training sessions. These included virtual sessions held on November 21st, 28th, and December 6th, and in-person cook training sessions on December 9th and 16th. The sessions brought together a diverse group of participants, including school principals, cooks, PTA members, school
staff, and Ministry of Education personnel within the government feeding programs – National Healthy Start school feeding program (primary schools) and the Education Upliftment program (high schools).
The three virtual training sessions were specifically designed to enhance the capabilities and skills of officials responsible for the School Feeding Program. These sessions were crucial in facilitating the expansion of school feeding programs, school gardens, and nutrition education within the education curriculum.
The key objectives included providing an overview of healthy school environments, emphasizing the importance of school feeding to children’s health, reviewing food health and safety protocols in school kitchens, and introducing basic nutrition needs for students.
The inaugural session, conducted by Cathleen Juan, Mesoamerica Hunger-Free AMEXCID-FAO and School Feeding Coordinator, covered topics such as the introduction of the term “Healthy School Environment,” components of such an environment, an overview of diet-related non-communicable diseases, statistics on overweight/obesity, and the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages among school children in Belize. Additionally, discussions on ultra processed foods, reading food labels, and healthy alternatives for school snacks were presented.
Led by Ms. Lisa Marin Sanchez, Senior Public Health Inspector from the Ministry of Health, the second session covered topics such as food handler’s responsibilities, types of contamination and prevention measures, personal hygiene and handwashing, purchasing safe food, proper food storage, and safe food preparation and cooking practices, with a focus on time and temperature controls. One of the most insightful takeaways from Ms. Lisa’s session was her revelation about the most common food safety infraction observed in kitchens: the lack of temperature controls.
The third and final virtual session, held on December 6th, featured Doris Sutherland, nutritionist from FAO Belize, who offered a deep dive into essential topics, such as an overview of food groups and appropriate portion sizes, the nutritional significance of fruits, vegetables, proteins, and staples in a child’s diet, and an introduction to the school feeding menu. The session also provided valuable insights into menu planning, recipe formats, ingredient substitution, and methods to encourage children to embrace fruits and vegetables.
The Program’s emphasis on inclusivity, evidenced by the virtual format accommodating even those from areas with limited resources, underscores its dedication to making a meaningful impact on school feeding programs across Belize.
Following the virtual sessions, in-person training was conducted for school feeding head cooks, focusing on
nutrition, food safety, school menus, and utilizing local produce. These sessions took place at Ladyville Technical High School, Belize District with participation from 16 schools across four districts.
During these in-person sessions, cooks practiced calculating ingredients for 100 children and learned about the ice water calibration method for thermometers. They were divided into groups to prepare various dishes, highlighting the use of vegetables and the absence of added sugar in flavorful recipes. Each school represented was given two thermometers for their kitchen.
These training sessions have successfully equipped participants with a deeper understanding of the significance of healthy food choices and food safety practices in the context of school feeding, reinforcing the valuable lessons learned and ensuring a brighter, healthier future for Belizean schoolchildren.
The Mesoamerica Hunger-Free AMEXCID-FAO program remains committed to fostering a comprehensive understanding of aspects to promote healthier school environments and, consequently, the well-being of the children involved, promoting public policies in favor of food and nutritional security in the country.
Caption: The objectives of the cook training sessions were to familiarize cooks with the recipe structure used in the menus (standardized for 50 servings), teach cooks to use the menu planning tool in the school kitchen protocol book, instruct on the use of thermometers during food preparation, and introduce new ways of preparing local fruits and vegetables.
Castries, March 2025. Saint Lucia has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring human rights for all.
This was the collective assertion, as over 20 national stakeholders participated in a two-day national Human Rights workshop. This initiative was hosted by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) Regional Caribbean office, in collaboration with the UN Resident Coordinator’s satellite office in Saint Lucia, and the Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation, and Diaspora Affairs. 
The workshop, was designed to enhance awareness of the International Human Rights System, including treaty bodies and human rights mechanisms; build capacity of government officials and civil society members in data gathering and human rights reporting; and to highlight the role that respective agencies and their constituents play within this system. The Ministry of External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation and Diaspora Affairs is the focal agency for Human Rights in Saint Lucia.
In welcoming participants, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs Ms. Janelle Modeste-Stephen, noted that advancing human rights was a shared responsibility. “Government must enact policies and safeguard rights. Civil society must continue to advocate and mobilize. The private sector must embrace inclusive practices. Communities must challenge discrimination and uphold the dignity of every individual,” She urged stakeholders to use the workshop as an opportunity to learn, collaborate and commit to concrete action that will make human rights a lived reality for all in Saint Lucia. “Together, we can build a society, where justice, equality and inclusion are not just aspirations but everyday realities”, she stated.
A key objective of the workshop was to reactivate and strengthen the capacity of Saint Lucia’s National Coordinating Committee for Human Rights, which was established by the Cabinet of Ministers in 2019. The Ministry of External Affairs serves as the Chair and Secretariat of the Committee, which comprises representatives from various government ministries. The committee is responsible for analyzing the human rights situation at the national level and collaborates to report on recommendations aligned with Saint Lucai’s national priorities. The active
functioning of the National Coordinating Committee for Human Rights is crucial for promoting and protecting human rights.
Reflecting on the utility of the workshop, Ms. Bynta Ernest, the representative from the Department of Gender Affairs on the National Human Rights Committee noted that the session was essential to the Committee’s revitalization and to demonstrating its importance in advancing human rights in Saint Lucia. “The practical sessions towards reporting on the recommendations from the last Universal periodic Review (UPR) were also very useful to kick-start the process towards meeting our October 2025 UPR reporting deadline,” she added.
In fulfillment of Saint Lucia’s human rights related reporting obligations and deadlines, workshop participants prepared a draft plan of action to devise next steps to advance Saint Lucia’s human rights agenda.
The workshop was held at the Harbor Club Hotel, from March 5-6, 2025. Participants included representatives from departments of External Affairs, Health, Education, Labor, Justice, Human Services, Gender Affairs, Immigration, Equity, Economic Development, the National Statistical Office, the Parliamentary Commissioner’s Office, the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force, the Attorney General’s Office, and the National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities.
Photo Captions:
1st insert: Janelle Modeste-Stephen, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs
2nd insert: Bynta Ernest, Gender Affairs
Kingston, Jamaica, March 10, 2025 – The Government has significantly increased investments in healthcare and should another crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic hit the island, the country will be better equipped to deal with it, according to Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness.
Speaking at the unveiling of a monument in honour of healthcare workers who died while tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, today (March 10), at the National Chest Hospital in St. Andrew, the Prime Minister said out of a commitment to strengthen the healthcare system and to strengthen the healthcare workforce, the Government instituted the Dr. Barry Wint Memorial Scholarship in 2024.
“We are investing $2.5 billion to support 607 students pursuing studies in medical technology, nursing, biomedical engineering, and other critical health-related fields,” he said, adding that the fund is ensuring the building of a robust pipeline of professionals “dedicated to service in the health sector.
“This is a solid commitment of how the Government is dealing with building resilience in the system, supporting our professionals, and at the same time ensuring that we can deliver healthcare with care,” the Prime Minister said.
He noted that while July has been earmarked to recognise the “selfless contribution of those who carried us through the crisis, more needs to be done”.
“Our appreciation cannot be confined to a single month or a single event. It must be reflected in how we value and support our healthcare professionals every single day. To the families of the fallen, I know that no words can fill the space left, especially for your loved ones,” Dr.
Holness said.
The Prime Minister underscored that the legacies of the healthcare workers live on in the patients they treated, the lives they touched, and now in the monument that has been erected.
“Let us commit to a Jamaica where those who dedicate their lives to caring for others are themselves cared for. Let us also commit to upholding the values these healthcare workers have embodied – care, compassion, resilience and unity. In their action and sacrifice, they made a choice,” the Prime Minister said.
March 10 marks the fifth anniversary since the first case of COVID-19 was identified in the country, and the fourth year since the start of the recovery with the administration of vaccines.
Contact: Garfield L. Angus
Release: JIS
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