The Belizean Kriol proverb, “wan, wan, okra full baskit,” roughly translates to “step by step, we will reach our goal.” In this spirit, Full Basket Belize was founded in 2005 to support those working for positive change at the grass roots of Belize. Student by student and project by project, Full Basket Belize helps improve the education, health, environment, and economic development of Belizean communities.
The FBB Scholars Program partners with secondary schools across Belize to provide students with scholarships. We are supporting 46 high-achieving, deserving students in 2024-25 — all made possible by your fabulous support!
Visit our Scholars Program webpage for complete information.
FBB’s Community Grants Program has supported dozens of Belizean communities to improve their education, health and environment since 2005.
Visit our Community Grants webpage for more information.
There are many ways to donate to Full Basket Belize and support our programs. Visit our How to Help webpage for a complete list of easy ways to give. Clicking on the Donate button at right takes you directly to our PayPal page. Please subscribe to our mailing list (sign up below), or contact us today to learn how you can help Full Basket Belize continue to support students and communities in Belize.
Garifuna Settlement Day in Belize
Nearly 400 years ago, the British began importing slaves from Africa to work on plantations on Caribbean islands like St. Vincent. Over time, these African peoples began to intermarry with the local Arawak and Carib peoples, mixing traditions, languages, and music to form the unique Garifuna culture. After revolting against the British, the Garifuna were pursued throughout the Caribbean, ultimately making their way to the shores of Belize on November 19, 1802, a day now celebrated as a national holiday known as Garifuna Settlement Day.
The holiday is celebrated throughout the country with a strong focus on towns and villages with a large Garifuna population such as Dangriga, Punta Gorda, Hopkins, and Seine Beight. With exhibitions of both traditional music and dances like the punta that were created by the Garifuna, the holiday is a great time to see street dances, enjoy Garifuna foods like cassava bread (below left) and hudut (fish cooked in coconut, shown at right), and hear the oral history of the Garifuna people being told by village elders. Today, the Garifuna culture is alive and well!
Grant Committee Hard at Work
This fall we received 31 grant applications for 2025. We have nine grants of $1,000 USD each to give away, thanks to you, our wonderful supporters. Our grant committee is charged with the difficult task of deciding which grants deserve our funding. Winners will be announced soon — watch for the news in a future newsletter.
Here’s How to Donate
To continue to support small project grants (and our scholars), we accept donations year-round. There are many ways to donate — it’s easy! See options below.
- **Highest Impact**: Mail a paper check to Full Basket Belize, 6016 NE Birch St, Hillsboro OR 97124 (This option saves us the cost of processing fees.)
- Make a secure donation at PayPal using your credit or debit card or your own PayPal account.
- Become a sustaining donor and give any amount monthly, starting at $5/month. It’s easy to set this up at PayPal.
- Facebook Donation. Navigate to Facebook.com/FullBasketBelize and look for the blue Donate button on the far right side of the page. Click on the button and follow the prompts to donate.
- Honor someone with a Facebook Fundraiser. In the Search Facebook area at the upper lefthand side of any Facebook page, enter the word Fundraiser. Then follow the directions on how to create a fundraiser benefitting Full Basket Belize.
- Corporate Match. Check with your employer to see if it will match or double your donation. We are registered with Benevity, Your Cause, and Amgen Foundation Matching Gifts Program. We will register with other organizations as requested – just contact us.
- Make a Qualified Charitable Donation (QCD) to FBB. Visit www.fullbasketbelize.org/how-to-help for more information.
updated 11/14/2024 jl