EU-OAS Partnership Transforms Lives in Belize’s Adjacency Zone
Across Belize, hundreds of entrepreneurs like David, Mariela and Jency are building brighter futures, thanks to a collaboration between the European Union and the Organization of American States (OAS) in the Adjacency Zone, the buffer area between Belize and Guatemala. Through the Ta’Amay Centres, part of the Cultures for Peace, free certified courses are empowering individuals, strengthening communities, and fostering economic independence.
David Uck, a 25-year-old from Benque Viejo del Carmen who, after a month-and-a-half-long intermediate course in barbering, is now the proprietor of his own barbershop, the only one in the Santa Cruz area.
“I always thought about having something of my own,” says the young cook turned barber. “By opening the barbershop, I'm now my own boss, and it has helped me a lot financially.”
David is one of over 600 beneficiaries who have taken part in the free, certified training courses offered at The Ta’Amay Centers.
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Like David, 37-year-old Mariela de Jesús Santos López, of San José Succotz turned her passion for beauty into a business after taking multiple cosmetology courses from eyelash treatments to hairstyling. Her salon, Revive, Beauty by Mariela, opened in 2022, has grown so much that she now employs her sister to keep up with demand.
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Meanwhile, for Jency Muralles, consistently taking part in classes offered more than skills, it provided support and solidarity. With certificates in sewing, event planning, customer service, entrepreneurship, and even bartending under her belt, Jency now enjoys financial stability, a strong sense of purpose and renewed confidence in her ability to provide for her son.
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“In our groups, in all those courses that we take, a lot of us communicate with each other,” Jency says. “We have problems—different kinds of problems, difficulties in our lives. We talk about it, and it's like therapy for us. In many ways, we motivate each other, and that's nice.”
Karen Chan and Emma Valladares and other women in Arenal used baking skills to lauch a community bakery, selling fresh bread and pastries to their neighbours, who once relied on store bought bread transported from far away.
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Karen hopes that in the next few years they will be able to establish a permanent brick-and-mortar bakery within the community and further expand the business.
Ignite Ltd.
The impact of the training provided by the Ta’Amay centres go beyond technical skills. These centres serve as hubs for connection, where participants 450 of whom are women find mentorship, confidence and emotional support.
For David, Mariela, Jency, Karen, Emma and hundreds of others, these courses have meant more than certificates, they mean dignity, opportunity and hope.