Author: Mckinley Almeida | Major: Economics, Psychology | Semester: Summer 2024
Hi! I’m Mckinley Almeida, a Junior at the University of Arkansas, juggling majors in both Economics and Psychology. As an Honors student at the Walton College of Business and Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, I had the incredible opportunity to work with the Ministry of Agriculture in Belize. Through the highs, lows, and buffaloes, this summer showed me the power of adopting resilience and knowledge to overcome challenges and make a meaningful impact.
Belize was a mindblowing experience, but not without its share of lows. Imagine Dangriga, Belize—a hot, sticky, mosquito-infested town. Like Theseus navigating the Labyrinth, I was trying to figure out where I was in this town (except I didn’t have the mythical golden string to help). Whether it was the occasional animal carcass, rotting garbage, or a noble steed’s poop, there were moments when I could not stomach my next meal. Like a thief in the night, I was robbed of my sleep. There was no A/C on the humid nights, no way to shut up the impromptu choir of dogs, and no way to stop my back from aching on the cheap cot. My friend Yousif and I had to massacre about 30 flies in the first week just to make our room habitable. We appropriately dubbed the room the “Mojo Dojo Casa House.
The conditions in Dangriga pushed me out of my comfort zone, but they opened my eyes to the town’s vibrant culture. In my 20 years of living, I have never seen a place so enriched with culture. After all, Dangriga is the “Culture Capitol of Belize”. A culture of kindness and unwarranted generosity is the beating heart of the Garifuna people. The sound of Afro-beats echoing throughout the town keeps the people smiling and dancing. It wasn’t uncommon to drive to the beach during the workday, relax in the back of a pickup truck, and crack open a cold beer. Spending a day with the people of Belize teaches that fast-paced American industriousness isn’t the only way to live. But rather, working together and taking a moment to appreciate the community that you have around you is just as important.
I had the honor of working in economic development with the Ministry of Agriculture. The Ministry had 3 overarching goals:
- Survey data from farmers to help them with grants.
- Convince farmers to from synthetic to organic farming.
- Improve infrastructure and education for small farmers.
Let me tell you about Miguel, who immigrated to Belize from Guatemala to start a life as a farmer. Miguel is a funny man who loves to boogie on a Friday night. But it’s not easy. For starters, the official language of Belize is English, but many languages are spoken daily in Belize, such as Garifuna, Spanish, Kriol, and Mayan. All the documents are in English, while Miguel, who only speaks Spanish can’t fill out a form himself to receive a grant that would subsidize 85% of his farm. Miguel has an annual income of $7,500 USD, and the only glimpse of the modern world that Miguel has is hand-me-down clothes and a flip phone. Miguel wanted to get the grant to obtain a water source for his citrus crops as there are currently drought-like conditions in Belize.
Miguel’s story is all too common among Belizean farmers: limited education, unreliable water access, and no clear path forward. They say it’s death by a thousand paper cuts, but paper cuts are a weak comparison. It’s death by a thousand knives, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
Just as David slays Goliath, I have seen farmers slay the giant of running a successful farm in Belize. One such farmer is Anna who is one of the sweetest souls I know (friends get to call her Anna ‘Banana’). Anna runs a modern-day Garden of Eden, full of colorful fruits. Cobblestone paths, roughed and smoothed by time, lead you through riotous flowers. Hibiscus, Ginger Lily, and Orchids use their petals to grip your attention. Anna’s farm is functional and aesthetic. However, what sets Anna apart from farmers like Miguel is her ability to read and write English, coupled with the knowledge to plan her business effectively. Her story shows that with the right tools and education, success is within reach.
The Ministry and I shared a common goal: helping farmers slay the giant of running a successful farm. Our aim was to provide them with the sling and stone they needed to do so. My boss, Mr. Novelo, asked me to develop a Farm Plan Outline to help farmers map out their path to success. Our aim was to support farmers as they navigated their environment, even when conditions were tough. The Farm Plan Outline worked in three parts. The first part focuses on helping farmers define their personal goals, so they can channel their ambitions toward the success of their farms. The second part applied my education from the Walton College of Business, by creating a layman’s outline of a business plan. I didn’t want farmers to be overwhelmed by the infinite possibilities of the future, so I tried to make the business plan simple to understand. Finally, working with the Ministry, we asked important questions to establish a future for the farm (for example, the use of organic versus synthetic products).
Community gives birth to resilience, but it is the belief that there is a way forward that gives birth to progress. I want to center my life and career around helping others in need by leveraging my Honors education in both Economics and Psychology at the University of Arkansas. Belize reaffirmed my passion for making the world better than I found it. I am grateful to the university and Dr. Farmer for encouraging me to have two of the most Unbelizable months of my life. I implore the readers to consider what skills and opportunities they have to make a positive difference in the world.