Belmopan, November 5, 2024.
The Office of the Prime Minister and Ministry of Investment, through its Investment Policy and Compliance Unit (IPCU), joined the National Women’s Commission and the Orange Walk Town Council to expand the “Cell Phone Repair Course for Women and Youth” to the Orange Walk district. Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño distributed certificates and presented fourteen sets of cell phone repair starter kits to the trainees.
The training, held from October 21 to November 1, 2024, included two weeks of in-person sessions for 13 female and 2 male participants. Designed to promote self-employment, the course addressed a local need for technicians skilled in cell phone maintenance and repair. The instructor indicated that the trainees frequently performed screen and charging port replacements, meeting high local demand. By the second week, some participants were already taking repair orders.
The starter kits, provided to enable immediate business operations, included antistatic mats, electric multi-meters, soldering irons, and magnifying lamps.
This initiative aims to diversify economic activity in the Orange Walk district by building skills and fostering entrepreneurship, especially in growth sectors such as the Orange Economy. The training empowers women to generate additional income by repairing cell phones – one of the primary tools used in the Orange Economy for content production.
Present at the closing ceremony of the training were Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño; Mrs. Narda Garcia, Chief Executive Officer in the Office of the Prime Minister; The Mayor of Orange Walk Town, Mr. Ladrick Sheppard; Mrs. Thea Garcia-Ramirez, Chair of the Corozal Think Tank and the President of the National Women’s Commission; Counsellor Allen Yu of the Orange Walk Town Council; Mr. Neri Ramirez, Chief Executive Officer of the Corozal Free Zone; and Mr. Lincoln Blake, Director of the Investment Policy and Compliance Unit, Ministry of Investment.
The President of the National Women’s Commission expressed her gratitude for the presence of all the women and girls participating and urged all Belizeans to participate in the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence.
Ends
For more information, please contact:
Investment, Policy & Compliance Unit
Ministry of Investment
880-4728/880-4729
