Caye Caulker entrepreneur produces alkaline water with support from a Guatemalan university

Caye Caulker resident Celina Jimenez is the creator of Island Fresh Water, a newly established business offering alkaline water in Belize. This business venture was made possible with the support of Universidad del Valle Guatemala (UVG) in Guatemala City through a pilot project geared toward developing women entrepreneurs from Guatemala and Belize. The program hosted in collaboration with the Center for Promotion of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises helped improve the entrepreneurs’ current businesses and products.
The two-week program, with financing from the Republic of China (Taiwan), included ten selected entrepreneurs who received personalized guidance in various areas, including innovation, food technology, marketing, legal matters, and finances. According to UVG, the group worked with specialists and students at the university, enhancing their products’ formulations and packaging and receiving customer feedback. The program also honed the participants’ marketing plans and business branding for their projects.
Jimenez water company is considered the only one locally owned and producing alkaline water in the country. The Hicaqueña businesswoman is grateful to UVG as it helped her to improve the product now available to the public. Jimenez said that Island Fresh Water will be debuting at the upcoming Belize Investment Summit scheduled for August 30th through September 1st in San Pedro Town.
Jimenez is excited about this project and hopes customers will receive her product well. Alkaline water is slightly less acidic than regular drinking water. It contains alkaline minerals and is considered to have many health benefits. Jimenez mentioned that alkaline water is suitable for persons suffering from hypertension, diabetes, triglycerides, and cholesterol, and it improves bone density. Other benefits of drinking alkaline water are reportedly good and steady blood pressure, suitable for those fighting cancer. However, according to medical reports published online, only some of these potential benefits are proven.
Overall it is a product considered by many as essential for good health. Jimenez guarantees good quality and is working on other products to release for the benefit of her community. She invites islanders to try the product and to visit her booth at the investment summit later this month.
The other Belizean participant included Yesenia Guerra, owner of Yessis Cuisine, a business producing Habanero and Serrano pepper sauces. Guerra shared that the program helped her to standardize her sauce formulas. “I am very happy with the support from UVG,” she said.