A collaboration between the European Union and the Organization of American States (OAS) has provided free certified training courses to over 600 people in Belize's Adjacency Zone, the buffer area between Belize and Guatemala, enabling many to start businesses and achieve financial independence. The initiative, delivered through Ta'Amay Centres as part of the Cultures for Peace programme, offers courses in barbering, cosmetology, sewing, event planning, customer service, entrepreneurship, and bartending, among others.
Beneficiaries include David Uck, a 25-year-old from Benque Viejo del Carmen who completed a barbering course and now owns the only barbershop in the Santa Cruz area; Mariela de Jesús Santos López of San José Succotz, who turned cosmetology training into a thriving salon, Revive, Beauty by Mariela, opened in 2022; and Jency Muralles, who gained multiple certificates and now enjoys financial stability and renewed confidence. In Arenal, women like Karen Chan and Emma Valladares used baking skills to launch a community bakery, selling fresh bread and pastries to neighbours who previously relied on transported store-bought bread.
The press release, published by the EEAS on 22 June 2026, highlights that 450 of the participants are women, and that the centres serve as hubs for connection, mentorship, and emotional support. The EU-OAS partnership aims to foster economic independence and community resilience in the Adjacency Zone, a region historically affected by border tensions between Belize and Guatemala.