We have started a program of workshops in remote, rural villages (aldeas) in the Cayo District. The purpose to bring information about domestic violence to isolated families and help with obtaining help and resources. This program is in collaboration with the Office of Rural Development' Rural Communities Development Officer along with . There are 17 such communities and a very small staff among us to do this; so we have included "extenders" by including the domestic violence officer of the Cayo Police Department and eventually people in various other government agencies and non-profit organizations who serve women and children. Here are a photo or two of what we did in the last week or so. It has been extraordinary; well-received--and somewhat unplanned was that I gave several workshops in Spanish. One thing I am learning is the tremendous tension around the Guatemalan border that is not even clearly defined. Belizeans seem to resent Guatemalans based on a long history of political and cultural issues; and many Guatemalans here have no legal rights.
