By Zoila Palma: Three communities in the Stann Creek District have become the first to formally join the European Union-funded PROSPER project, marking a new phase in community-led economic development efforts in southern Belize.
Partnership agreements were signed with Hopkins, Seine Bight and Maya Center during a ceremony held in Hopkins Village on May 26, signaling the transition of the initiative from planning and consultation to implementation at the community level.
The agreements were signed by the Government of Belize, the European Union and the International Labour Organization (ILO) in the presence of government officials, EU representatives and ILO partners. The three communities were selected through a community readiness scorecard developed under the project’s value chain analysis, which assessed local assets, businesses, cooperatives and participation in priority industries.
Hopkins and Seine Bight had previously piloted the Participatory Appraisal of Competitive Advantage methodology in December 2025, involving more than 100 residents in identifying development priorities, while Maya Center was recognized for its cultural tourism and agroforestry potential.
Minister of Rural Transformation, Community Development and Local Government, Oscar Requena, said the initiative aligns with Belize’s National Rural Development Strategy and empowers communities to shape their own development.
European Union representative Aniceto Rodriguez Ruiz emphasized that the partnership is built on cooperation and local ownership to strengthen resilient economies. ILO Sustainable Enterprise and Job Creation Specialist John Bliek noted that investment in tourism and cacao value addition is aimed at creating inclusive growth and meaningful employment opportunities for local producers and workers.
The ceremony also highlighted the involvement of technical and vocational education institutions, which will receive training and equipment to strengthen cacao cultivation and value chain-focused learning. Minister of Agriculture Rodwell Ferguson welcomed the focus on cacao agroforestry as part of Belize’s agricultural diversification agenda.
The remaining 12 partner communities in the Toledo District are currently engaged in consultations under the Maya Free, Prior and Informed Consent protocol and are expected to join the project in the coming months.
PROSPER, a four-year initiative running from 2024 to 2028, supports sustainable tourism and cacao agroforestry development in 15 Maya and Garifuna communities through skills training, enterprise support and local action planning.
The post Three Stann Creek communities formalize PROSPER Partnership appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: Three communities in the Stann Creek District have become the first to formally join the European Union-funded PROSPER project, marking a new phase in community-led economic development efforts in southern Belize. Partnership agreements were signed with Hopkins, Seine Bight and Maya Center during a ceremony held in Hopkins Village on May 26,
The post Three Stann Creek communities formalize PROSPER Partnership appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.