The year is finished and still 34 women from Ambergris Caye continue on the long wait to receive their grants in order to start or expand their businesses. The women were part of a training seminar called ‘Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking Project BA-1’ which was designed for victims of domestic violence and human trafficking. The program would assist the participants with the necessary tools, knowledge and a grant so they could expand their business ideas. Even though the financial assistance promised in the training has not been reimburse, the question that lingers is what use will the participants give to the grants if and when they receive it. So far, most of the women have done nothing or little to start a business plan that will depict how they will use the funds.
According to some of the women, they have lost hopes about ever getting the assistance that they were promised when they took the training. Since the completion of the seminar back in May, there have been two meetings in which the women are given dates when they will be provided with the funds. Speaking with some of the project’s graduates they revealed some of their business plans they will execute if and when they receive the grants.
Many of the women are looking forward to expand their jewelry businesses by adding more variety of products to their existing stock and building a structure from where they can managed their business instead of been selling on the street side or by the beach. Others have already started to obtain materials for their food businesses which they plan to complete and run when the needed funds are given to them. But since the delay has been so long, a few of the women have been discouraged and have not started a business plan yet. At this point, according to most of the 34 women they have not completed any business plan because they had to go in different directions and try to find a job.
It had been announced earlier that on Friday, December 18th, the grants were going to be distributed, but it did not happen. The group of disappointed women has vowed to continue in their fight in 2016 and try to obtain the much needed financial assistance for their projects.
