Belizean Heroines Who Give Me Inspiration

This past weekend has been a busy one for Belizeans everywhere. With the La Ruta Maya race and other festivities for the long weekend, everyone’s been loving the Heroes and Benefactors.

Or rather, everyone’s been loving the holiday they give us. Allow me to explain.

This weekend, known as ‘9th of March weekend’, is a holiday to acknowledge and celebrate the Heroes, Heroines and Benefactors of the country but that has been lost in the parties that surround the canoe race; which, might I add, has nothing to do with the holiday.

So today, in light of Women’s History Month and in lieu of the holiday that just passed, I give you 3 women in Belizean History who I look to when I need inspiration. These women are people who have had a hand in shaping the way modern education, politics and social justice in Belize have grown. They are, in the truest sense of the word, Heroines.

Cleopatra White

A Nurse, social worker and Leader. One of the founding matrons of the Black Cross Nurses at the young age of 21. By 22, she was a trained nurse working in different villages. The first of her kind in the rural area of Gale's Point, she was a mother-figure to all in Gale's Point. She taught young girls feminine hygiene when there was none to teach them; she garnered respect from everyone in the village. This respect allowed her to organize the first, though unofficial, village council of Belize (the format for which is still used today). Even after she was past age of retirement, White would just not stop. After Hurricane Hattie, she made the 17 mile commute to Hattieville everyday, to help the survivors of the tragedy.

What I am trying to say, is that this woman just may be the epitome of what Belizean Consciousness should be. At such a young age, she had a vocation to help people. As a nurse, she helped with her knowledge of ailments and the human body; as a person, everyone who had met her said she was a woman who knew how to brighten other people's day. She is someone I want to be like. A person with that natural compulsion for kindness.

Gwendolyn Lizarraga

First and foremost, I have to say that this woman is the dictionary meaning of a boss-woman. Here we have the woman who made it possible for other women in politics to have their place in politics. She created a group that mobilized women to combat poor living conditions called the United Women's Group; Madam Liz believed that all Belizeans were entitled to a piece of land, so much so that when she was told there was no land, she went into the swampy marshes and plotted her own land. These swampy areas that she cleared and plotted would then become the Pickstock area that we see today.

Confidence is this woman's middle name. She paved a way where there was none; she was about serving the people, She overcame challenges and people telling her that she can't, and basically told herself that she can. do what she wants to help people. And that's exactly what she did.

Maud Williams

Okay, so she's not exactly a celebrated Belizean heroine, but I am of the mindset that a Teacher can change the lives of so many of her students.

That is exactly what she did. Her teaching career started long before she was a trained teacher. When she was professionally trained she taught in all parts of the country, name any of the 6 districts and she could name you a school she taught at in that district. She retired after her time at Queen's Square Anglican Primary school. Even after retirement, Williams did not stop teaching. For 12 years after retiring from the classroom, she was appointed General Manager of Anglican Schools. She traveled the country doing school inspections and served as Treasurer at the Belize National Teachers Union. She also majorly contributed to the formation of Carnival in Belize.

Dedication to education is the goal here. Dedication to making at least one life better by having a great teacher figure in their lives. Influencing children to do the right thing from a young age. I want to have that kind of influence, that kind of drive for education. Maybe I have it in my genes, after all - she is my grandmother.

These three women shaped Belize as we know it, and I think we should take some time to remember them on the holiday meant for them. We get so caught up in the festivities of the holiday that we don't remember the people that made it so that we could have places to celebrate in the first place.

These women show that just a drop in the ocean can make a huge splash, and I think that their traits are things we should all aspire to have.

Thanks for clicking,

-Chey❤

I had to do so much research for this post, so if you want to read any of the full articles or biographies I read and incorporated into this post, check them out below!

Cleopatra White:

photo courtesy of http://www.belizemusicworld.com/Cleopatra-White--Belizean-Patriot--1898-1987.html

http://www.belizemusicworld.com/Cleopatra-White--Belizean-Patriot--1898-1987.html

https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Cleopatra%20White

Gwendolyn Lizarraga:

Photo Courtesy of http://amandala.com.bz/news/54-years-of-political-history-1954-to-2008/

http://www.pup.org.bz/party-organs/

https://issuu.com/lucilo/docs/belize_times_100314/8

Maud Williams

Photo Courtesy of HelpAge Belize

http://belizenews.com/thestar/cayostar204.pdf

http://amandala.com.bz/news/honoring-an-education-giant-st-michaels-college-becomes-maud-williams-high-school/

#Belize #inspire #heros #heroines #culture