Ben
Weagraff
Masters Student in Agricultural Economics
The people of Belize are a
very proud people. They were knowledgeable, kind, and willing to help.
They cherished having visitors from anywhere and we were all made to feel
welcome. The Belizean way of being a half hour late for everything
resonated into a very laid back attitude. I believe the people of Monkey
River Town were very conscious of the environment and desperately wanted to
sustain their environment. People needed their environment for their
livelihoods, whether it is for fishing, jungle tours, or whatever.
The 2001 Hurricane brought the people of Monkey River Town back to square
one, they almost had to start over again, as most of their possessions were
either lost or damaged. However, the Belizean spirit remained and the
people have rebuilt their lives. People seem to be very aware that they need
to protect their environment for their livelihoods, whether it is for
fishing, jungle tours, or whatever. At the same time, they did not want
their environment to be exploited for tourism as is the case with Placencia.
I think people protected their environment via the best way they knew how,
nobody who exploited the environment was allowed to do so, as is the case
with only Monkey River Guides allowed to take the Jungle walk.
In my view, there was a tight sense of community. This could be a huge
asset because it engages people and creates a welcoming sense. They are
content with where they are and there is no fear where they are. The people
of Monkey River Town are perfectly content with the way things are—they live
a happy and satisfactory life. They are afraid of things outside of Monkey
River Town and thus have no aspirations to leave. The elders seem to be the
most knowledgeable but do not necessarily reflect the diversity of the
community. However, with that said, it is important that they have their
most knowledgeable in charge. The major health issue is the absence of
health care in the community. Based on our direct experience one night in
the village, it seems to have to take a sick baby to Independence at 10 PM
at night is just unacceptable--these people deserve better health care.
I had no solid perceptions of life in a coastal Belizean village going in, I
did not know what to expect. I am sorry to say, but I did not know what was
going to happen. Darryl Garbut is a tour guide whom I respect, he gave me a
book to read about the golden age of Belize. He told me to read it and
understand what the people of Belize used to have and how it is different
now.
