THREE CLASSROOM EXTENSION FOR ARMENIA GOVERNMENT PRIMARY SCHOOL

hree-classroom-extension-for-armenia-government-pr imary-school
Thursday, 17 December 2009 00:00

Minister of education Hon. Patrick Faber along with area representative
for Cayo South, Hon. Ramon Witz and Hiroshi Yamaguchi, the Japanese
Ambassador to Belize, as well as the Social Investment fund’s Daniel
Cano, officially inaugurated a three classroom building at Armenia
Government Primary School on Monday December 14.

The project will benefit some 387 school children and 14 teachers
in the Cayo South Constituency. It was implemented by the Social
Investment Fund (SIF), a statutory body under the auspices of the
Ministry of Economic Development.

The project’s scope included the construction of a three classroom
building which will also house a Principal’s office to alleviate the
school’s overcrowding problem. Currently, two classes are housed in
narrow unfit rooms at the adjacent Armenia Development Center. The new
classrooms will each measure 25feet by 24 feet and have a five foot
wide front verandah. The new building was constructed of reinforced
concrete with roof of same. The roof will be designed to withstand
up to category four hurricane winds and could serve as a hurricane
shelter.

Armenia Government Primary School is located in Armenia Village on
the Hummingbird Highway some ten miles from Belmopan City. The School
opened its doors in 1993 when there were only 30 families. Rapid
population growth to nearly 200 families with 387 children occupying
five buildings has led to serious overcrowding.

The total cost of the Project was $244,980.00 and was financed by
the Armenia Government School through a grant of $168,980.00 from the
Japanese Government, and the Government of Belize provided $76,000.00
through a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank.

The Social Investment Fund is the Government of Belize’s main
implementing agency of social projects aimed at addressing the basic
needs of all Belizeans in an honest and transparent manner utilizing
a community-based approach. Established as a statutory body in l996,
SIF has implemented 455 projects valued at $59.6M in the areas of
Water & Sanitation, Health, Economic Infrastructure, Education,
Social Services, Organizational Strengthening and Micro-credit.