24 SEP
2017
THE BELIZE TIMES
09 9
NO CALLA CREEK BRIDGE FOR STUDENTS Tuesday, September 19, 2017 Hurricane Earl hit Belize on August 4, 2016 as a Category One hurricane. In its way, Earl battered the trees, roof tops, homes and bridges. Today, over a year later, residents of Calla Creek continue to suffer the damage of Earl and the negligence of the UDP. Since Earl washed away the Hammock Bridge spanning the Mopan river in Calla Creek village, students are forced daily to cross in canoes to go to school and return home from school. The students cross in the morning before classes, for lunch time going home and returning to school and in the evening. After the hurricane hit, the Ministry of Education had pledged to provide transportation for students. However, that only lasted a short period of time before it was discontinued. According to the residents, they have reported numerous complaints and concerns to the Village Chairman but there has been no effort forthcoming to alleviate the situation. In an interview with the Belize Times, a concerned teacher of the primary school told us that it is dangerous for the students to be crossing daily and is an inconvenience to them and their parents: “The Government has the money to pay a bus to go all around because they started doing that then they ended it. They have money to pay a skiff to cross the children but yet they say that there is no money to fix the bridge and it is a hammock bridge. They have two blocks that was to be a bridge for the village but when government changed, ideas changed too. Even that hammock bridge that was washed away was dangerous because they used to fix it with old sticks and it was falling again. Last year, they began with the bus, then they stopped it so now the children cross in the little skiff there. They cross in the morning at 8 and then for lunch and in the evening to go home. If they are so concerned with students not missing classes and being in school, why don’t they do something about this situation? The road from Bullet Tree to Calla Creek is also very abandoned and dangerous. They don’t even take care of it, so people prefer trying to cross the river too. Something needs to be done urgently about this though, because many of our parents are concerned about their students crossing like this.” One of the parents of the Primary School also told us that her greatest fear is that something goes wrong one of these days and a child would drown: “This going to school and coming everyday worries me a lot because I am afraid that the skiff would capsize or one of those kids would fall in and drown. That is my biggest fear and concern. This issue is not from right now…it has been happening from a long time. Now we are in a new school year and still nobody has done nothing to fix this. It is like nobody cares about our children. We told the Chairman and we told Minister Erwin. He knows about our situation but as we try to say
something he sends Police for us. We, the parents are tired of this. They need to come and fix this. This is how they say that they care about education. The residents hope that the Minister of Works or Erwin Contreras answer their plea for the construction of a bridge. However, sources have confirmed to the Belize Times that the Chairman of the Village has given up trying to ask Contreras for help since he seems to have no interest in doing anything for Calla Creek Village.
Belize: Confronting Challenges! Celebrating Triumphs! Renewing our Resolve!
“Producers of World Class Quality Citrus Products” ALTA VISTA/POMONA STANN CREEK DISTRICT TEL: 501-522-2055, 2080 FAX: 501-522-3368, 2136 Email: citcom@btl.net The Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Citrus Products of Belize Limited salutes all Citrus Growers and our Fellow Belizeans at home and abroad, as we celebrate the 219th Anniversary of the Battle of St. George’s Caye and the 36th Anniversary of our Independence.
HAPPY NDEPENDENCE DAY TO ALL!
Happy Birthday Belize!!!