As the new academic year approaches, energy provider Hydro Belize Limited has launched its annual back-to-school community initiative, delivering customized school bags and essential learning materials to 120 deserving primary school students from river-side communities along the Macal River in Belize’s Cayo District on Monday.
This year’s outreach program targeted students between the ages of 5 and 12, drawn evenly from six local primary institutions: Holy Cross R.C. School in Calla Creek, Cristo Rey R.C. School, Immaculate Conception RC Primary School in Bullet Tree Falls, Faith Nazarene Primary School in San Ignacio, Santa Familia R.C. School, and Santa Elena Primary School. Campus administrators at each school selected 20 high-need students to receive the donations, ensuring the supplies reach the young learners who stand to benefit most from the support.
The distribution event was hosted at Hydro Belize’s main headquarters in San Ignacio, and combined the material handout with additional value for attending students. Alongside receiving their new school bags and supplies, participants joined an interactive safety presentation tailored to young people, and heard short encouraging remarks from the company’s senior leadership. Yaksim Betty Tam Moreno, Hydro Belize’s Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer, and Jose Riveroll, Vice President of Operations, led the distribution effort alongside a team of company volunteers.
In an official comment following the event, Tam Moreno emphasized that this annual initiative aligns with the company’s long-term commitment to the regions where it operates. “We hope these supplies help every selected student step into the new school year feeling prepared, confident, and motivated to learn,” she said. “Investing in education and supporting the next generation has always been a core pillar of Hydro Belize’s commitment to the communities we serve.”
The back-to-school giveaway is part of Hydro Belize’s broader ongoing community engagement strategy centered on the Macal River corridor, where the company operates three utility-scale hydroelectric power facilities. These include the 25-megawatt Mollejon plant, the 7.3-megawatt Chalillo facility, and the 19-megawatt Vaca hydropower station. Under formal agreements with the Government of Belize, all power generated by Hydro Belize’s facilities is supplied to Belize Electricity Limited, the country’s main national power distributor, to support residential and commercial energy access across Belize.