Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for New Mabil Ha Village Water Supply System

The Belize Social Investment Fund (BSIF) and the Ministry of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Labour & Local held the groundbreaking of the new Mabil Ha Village Water Supply System. Minister Oscar Requena was the main speaker at the event where he described the project as long awaited and urgent.

Carlos Tun, SIF Executive Director: “The subproject will provide for the construction of a production well and a reinforced concrete pump house to supply groundwater. This pumping station equipped with two 5,000-gallon storage tanks will be powered by solar system, ensuring sustainability and efficiency. Additionally, a standby generator will be available to provide supplemental power when necessary. The installation of over 17,000 feet of 4-inch and 2-inch pipes will form the backbone of this system, along with 54 service connections to provide water to the school, residence and churches. This infrastructure will transform the way water is obtained in Mabil Ha, ensuring that every corner of the village is adequately served. But this project goes beyond just providing water. We understand that proper sanitation and hygiene practices are crucial to the health and well-being of the community. Therefore, this sub-project will address sanitation issues through the Water and Sanitation and Hygiene WASH Training Program. This program will provide essential education on water, sanitation, and hygiene to teachers and members of the community. It will also include basic training for the village water board and village leaders in the management and operation of the new water system. The WASH program will empower our community with the knowledge and skills to maintain and utilize the water supply system effectively. It will insist best practices that ensure the health and safety of all of our residents, fostering a healthy and more vibrant community.”

SIF’s Executive Director Carlos Tun highlighted the transformative impact the new water supply system will have on daily life, including better health outcomes and enhanced opportunities for local development.

Oscar Requena, Minister of Rural Transformation: “Thank you for your understanding. And I want to say to you, the chairman and the Alcalde and other members of the village have persistently been behind me, Mr. Requena when we will get the water ? And I said to them, patience, it is coming. And maybe you might wonder sometimes you might wonder why it takes so long ? Because it is the way the system works. Because we’re actually getting this is. This is a grant that we are getting from the Caribbean Development Bank and you know when you get grants it just goes through a process. You have to, you know, you have to do an assessment, you have to get the engineers to come in, they have to check the system, you have to write back to the bank, the bank has to approve whatever we are doing, just a long process. But thank God, today that process is over. We are going to break ground today. And in the next two weeks time, two weeks time as Mr. Tun said, we are going to see the work get started in Mabil Ha.”

Mabil HA Village is located in the Toledo District.