Pueblo Viejo Village, located approximately 10 miles from the Belize – Guatemala boarder was host to a large party this past Friday. The school was celebrating their successful participation in Plenty Belize’s GATE Program. The school has been receiving weekly technical visits, tools, seeds and other necessary supplies from Plenty for the past 3 years. The ultimate goal of the GATE Program is for participating schools to keep the garden running smoothly after they stop receiving support from Plenty. Out of the 32 schools with gardens across the Toledo District 11 have graduated since the inception of the program in February 12th, 2002.
Majority of the village was in attendance for the celebration, which included a opening ceremony, the presentation of a certificate of achievement, and of course the meal prepared by local cooks and two cooks brought in from Punta Gorda Town. The school worked hard to prepare for the event by organizing committees to ensure things ran smoothly. The villagers participated in the planning process by suggesting menu items, purchasing food that could be found within the village, setup for the day, cooking, cleanup, and of course eating the delicious food that was prepared. The menu for the day included: Pork Caldo, Calaloo, Veggie Boil Up, Tamales, Ducunu, Shut, Clear Soup Turkey, Cho Cho, Corn Tortilla, Lime Juice, and traditional Cacao Drink.
With my belly full and my sunburn beginning to hurt I hopped back into the Plenty pickup truck and headed back into town. It was a long day, but a very fulfilling on too. This day allowed me to see the final goal of the GATE program, sustainability.
