The San Mateo Community Outreach, a public information event aimed at connecting residents with support services during the 16 Days of Activism campaign, was held on Thursday, December 4th, at the Gas and Go compound at the entrance to the San Mateo area in San Pedro Town. Running from 9AM to 2PM, the activity brought together the Family Support and Gender Affairs Department, the Ministry of Health and Wellness community health workers, the San Pedro Community Police, and the Community Rehabilitation Department to share information on assistance available to island residents, particularly families, survivors of violence, and at-risk youth.
The event formed part of Belize’s 16 Days of Activism campaign under the theme “Prevent to Project: Ending Gender Based Violence Begins with Us!” The outreach featured information booths, games, raffles, and direct engagement with community members about available support for families, survivors of violence, and at-risk youth. Gender Development Officer for San Pedro and Caye Caulker, Gianne Gillet, explained that the booths focused on “information about our services, the people that we serve and what we can do to assist the people of San Pedro and Caye Caulker,” noting that community health staff and police officers were also present to answer questions, emphasising coordination among the different agencies.
Thursday’s activity was one of the closing events of the national 16 Days of Activism 2025 programme on the island. Gillet noted that earlier in the campaign, her department hosted an opening on November 25th and set up an information booth at the Belize Bank to reach residents where they do their daily business. She pointed out that although the Family Support and Gender Affairs office has had staff in San Pedro for over a decade, “a lot of people actually don’t know where we are located,” and used the outreach to remind the public that the office on Front Street is open and accessible to anyone seeking help.
The Community Rehabilitation Department used the outreach to highlight its focus on youth who come into contact with the law in San Pedro. Community Rehabilitation Officer Keira Williams explained that the department works with young people aged 13 to 17 who are charged, advocates for them in court, and promotes a diversion programme designed “to give a youth a second chance,” allowing successful participants to avoid a criminal record. She stressed that during the 16 Days of Activism, the department is also urging anyone facing gender-based violence to “find the help, seek the help,” assuring residents that officers “are here to help whoever has these types of issues, so come reach out to us.”
The participating agencies stated that the objective is to convert short-term campaign activities into longer-term patterns of help-seeking and early intervention in San Pedro.
Gillet’s message to residents was that “if you are going through a crisis, seek help, you can come to us, and if we are not able to help, we can refer you to people who can,” including for domestic or gender-based violence cases. Officers from health, police, rehabilitation, and family support expressed confidence that by bringing services directly into neighbourhoods like San Mateo, more island residents will know where to turn, leading to stronger reporting, more referrals, and better protection for vulnerable families.
