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Belize Celebrates International School Meals Day

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Belmopan, March 15, 2025 – As the world marked International School Meals Day on Thursday, March 14, Belize highlights the success and expansion of its National Healthy Start School Feeding Programme (NHSFP). The initiative is ensuring that thousands of students receive nutritious meals daily to support learning, health, and well-being.

Managed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science, and Technology (MoECST), the NHSFP provides either breakfast or lunch to nearly 15,000 students, covering 11% of primary school children and 30% of secondary school students across the country. This marks a significant milestone in Belize’s commitment to nutrition security and education.

A Sustainable Model for School Feeding

The NHSFP utilizes a decentralized model, where meals are cooked fresh each day at individual schools.  This shift from a centralized catering model to a school-led approach, resulted from lessons learned through pilot programs under the AMEXCID FAO Mesoamerica Hunger Free Program and the Mexico-CARICOM-FAO Initiative “Cooperation for Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience in the Caribbean” or Resilient Caribbean Initiative.  This sustainable school feeding model has been successfully scaled up to 75 schools nationwide, reinforcing food sustainability, local economic growth and student health.

To support this initiative, Belize joined the RAES Network and the School Meal Coalition in 2024, further aligning national efforts with global best practices in school feeding.

Menu Innovation & Training for Better Nutrition

A key feature of the programme is the development of national school menu handbooks, created by Belizean nutritionists with support from FAO. Recently, a high school menu has been created, with portion sizes and recipes tailored towards older students.  This joins the primary school menu, to ensure nutrition needs are considered for all student ages.  The guides provide a 5-week menu cycle, focusing on balanced, nutrient-rich meals using local ingredients.  Additionally, the handbooks contain kitchen operating procedures to promote food safety, and menu planning guides.  School cooks receive training on these topics to promote the production of safe, quality meals.

Further capacity-building initiatives are planned for 2025 in partnership with FAO.

Strong Partnerships Driving Success

The NHSFP is strengthened by collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW), the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise (MAFSE), and key international partners including UNICEF, PAHO, and the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID)   —through its initiative jointly led with FAO, the Mesoamerica Hunger-Free program— , which has provided policy guidance and technical support since 2015.

Funding for the 2023-2024 expansion, totaling $3 BZD per child per day, was made possible through the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) via the 2022 Bilateral Cooperation Programme. These funds help schools renovate kitchens, improve food safety, and expand feeding coverage.

Innovative Monitoring for Greater Impact

Belize is also pioneering technology-driven monitoring of its school meals programme. A QR code-based student meal attendance app is currently being piloted in high schools,with the aim of integrating school feeding data into the BEMIS electronic tracking system. This initiative will help analyze trends, support decision-making, and improve programme efficiency.

As Belize celebrates International School Meals Day, the expansion of the National Healthy Start School Feeding Programme underscores the country’s commitment to ensuring every child has access to nutritious meals, paving the way for better education outcomes, healthier communities, and a more food-secure nation.

For more information, visit:
FAO School Food Global Hub – https://www.fao.org/platforms/school-food/around-the-world/latin-america-and-the-caribbean/belize/en

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Widow’s Testimony Recounts Night Haiti President Was Killed

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MIAMI, Florida — Emotional testimony from Martine Moïse, the widow of assassinated Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, has given jurors in a U.S. federal courtroom a chilling account of the night gunmen stormed the presidential residence and killed the country’s leader.

Martine Moïse took the stand this week in Miami as part of the ongoing trial of several men accused of helping plan and finance the July 7, 2021 assassination, a crime that plunged Haiti into political crisis and remains only partially solved.

She told the court that armed men forced their way into the president’s private home in the hills above Port-au-Prince during the early morning hours, firing multiple shots at her husband while she lay beside him. She testified that she was also wounded in the attack and survived by pretending to be dead until the gunmen left the room.

According to prosecutors, the plot involved a group of foreign mercenaries, including former Colombian soldiers, along with Haitian and Haitian-American suspects. Investigators say some of the men believed the mission was to detain the president, but the operation turned into an assassination.

The Miami trial is focusing on the alleged role of South Florida businessmen and others accused of organizing or financing the plan, part of a wider international investigation that has stretched across several countries.

More than four years after the killing, the question of who ultimately ordered the assassination remains unanswered, with suspects still in custody in both Haiti and the United States as the case continues to unfold.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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Jamaica Joins Afreximbank Agreement, Strengthening Africa–Caribbean Partnership

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CARIBBEAN — Jamaica has become the 13th CARICOM member state to accede to the African Export-Import Bank Establishment Agreement, further strengthening economic ties between Africa and the Caribbean.

The development was confirmed during the 50th CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting, where an Afreximbank delegation led by George Elombi and Kanayo Awani met with Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness to advance cooperation.

Prime Minister Holness thanked the bank for its support following Jamaica’s recent hurricane, noting that Afreximbank financing helped restore critical infrastructure including water, electricity, sewage systems and roads, while also assisting reconstruction efforts aimed at building stronger resilience to future disasters.

The meeting also focused on broader development opportunities tied to Jamaica’s membership in the agreement. Discussions included rebuilding and modernising infrastructure such as railways, hospitals and other public facilities, while strengthening regional transportation and trade networks to improve the movement of people and goods across the Caribbean.

Afreximbank has been expanding its presence in the Caribbean as part of its strategy to connect Africa with the region often referred to as “Global Africa.” The bank has already committed billions of dollars in financing and trade support to Caribbean economies in recent years, including funding for infrastructure, trade facilitation and private sector investment.

By joining the agreement, Jamaica gains expanded access to Afreximbank’s financial instruments, technical support and trade networks designed to promote commerce between Africa and CARICOM states.

Regional leaders say the growing partnership could unlock new opportunities in areas such as trade, logistics, tourism, manufacturing and cultural exchange, strengthening economic cooperation between the two regions with deep historical and diaspora ties.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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Liberty Caribbean Supports Regional Forum on AI, Cyber Resilience and Digital Inclusion  

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Port of Spain, TRINIDAD & TOBAGO (February 24, 2026) — Liberty Caribbean, the operators of Flow, Liberty Business and BTC, recently served as Gold-Level Partner of the two-day Trinidad and Tobago Internet Governance Forum (TTIGF), themed “The Innovation Paradox – Balancing Progress with Responsibility and Resilience”.

The Digital Divide is of particular interest to Liberty Caribbean and is being addressed through its Charitable Foundation across the region. Low broadband penetration in the Caribbean contributes to diminished opportunities for individuals, communities, and local economies, but with the support of funding partners, this gap can be addressed through a comprehensive programme – JUMP – that focuses on providing access, devices, and digital skills.

“Liberty Caribbean was proud to serve as Gold-Level Partner of the TTIGF because the conversations taking place here shape key digital policies for multiple stakeholders,” said Simone Martin-Sulgan, Vice President and General Manager, Flow Trinidad.

“As technology accelerates at an unprecedented pace, we must ensure that innovation strengthens our societies rather than fragments them. The theme, ‘The Innovation Paradox – Balancing Progress with Responsibility and Resilience,’ speaks directly to the work we do every day: building networks that are not only fast and reliable, but secure, inclusive and future-ready.”

Across the Caribbean, the digital divide remains one of the most pressing barriers to equitable growth. Low broadband penetration limits access to education, entrepreneurship and essential services, and that is why we are deeply committed to closing this gap.

Through the Liberty Caribbean Charitable Foundation and initiatives like the JUMP Programme, the company is expanding access to technology, affordable connectivity and digital skills training so that individuals and communities are empowered to participate fully in the digital economy.

Martin-Sulgan further stated “at Liberty Caribbean, we believe progress and responsibility must move in lock step. By investing in resilient networks, inclusive programmes and trusted partnerships, we are helping to build a Caribbean that is innovative, secure and prepared for the opportunities ahead.”

Topics covered during the Forum, with over 140 participants, included “Securing Critical Infrastructure”, Integrating AI into Digital Transformation”, “The Digital Divide”, The Human Cost of Innovation – Mental Health and Well-being in the Digital Age’, and AI, Cyber Resilience and Regional Innovation”.

Focused on the underlying mandate of the Conference theme thought leaders, innovators, policymakers, technologists, researchers, and community stakeholders were invited to explore how countries can evolve boldly without compromising values or long-term stability.

Photo Caption: 

TTIGF – l-r Darren Campo, Regulatory & Compliance Officer; Yolande Agard-Simmons, Senior Manager Communications; and Kevon Swift, Senior Manager Government and Regulatory Affairs of Flow Trinidad in attendance at the Post Event Mixer at Caribbean Telecommunications Union’s Head Office in St Clair, Port of Spain

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