On Tuesday morning, a handing over ceremony was held at the House of Culture to award two grants from the Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation to Belize. This year Belize has been awarded with one hundred and six thousand, eight hundred dollars for the Refurbishment of the Government House and also one hundred and twenty one thousand, six hundred dollars for the Lamanai Mask Temple Conservation Project. Acting Ambassador of the American Embassy, J.A Diffily told Love News more.
J.A. Diffily: Charge d’ Affairs, U.S Embassy
“This morning we had a little ceremony to hand over money for two cultural preservations projects that were awarded through the ambassador’s Cultural Heritage Preservation Fund that we have out to the State Department. We recognize that cultural heritage preservation is of interest to everyone around the world including ourselves. We have our own national park service and museums to conserve things and so in an interest in preserving cultural heritage throughout the world we have a small fund that gives grants every year to do specific projects and this year we had a hundred and sixty eight proposals from sixty countries to do these kinds of cultural preservation projects. The embassy is really happy to do this kind of thing and we have done projects I guess over the last four years. We did a project to help the Archaeology Department set up at the park at Sirpon Mill down in City River and we have done some other Mayan conservation projects as well. We are really happy to partner with the Government of Belize to do this kind of thing.”
Director of the Institute of Archeology Jamie Awe and Director of the Houses of culture, Lita Krohn where presented with cheques.
Jaime Awe: Director, Institute of Archeology
“This grant that we just received from the Ambassador’s Fund of the US will be used to conserve and preserve one of the most unique and most famous monuments of the site of Lamanai. This is a large stucco mask that is found on what most people refer to as the mask temple. Over the last twenty years this mask has been deteriorating as a result of the contraction and expansion that happens to these kinds of monuments from dry season to rainy season. One of the things we hope to do here is use this money to first preserve the mask, then we will make a replica out of fiery glass and we will cover the original one and then put the fiber glass replica over it. It will allow us to take off this ugly roof that we have right now over it. The people that come to visit Lamanai will be able to see this building like it really was in the past.”
Lita Krohn:Director, House of Culture
“The money will be used for much needed renovations. We have not had any renovations since 2003, we can see where being by the sea causes wear and tear in its wooden structure. We will need full shutters for the foundation, painting; the works.”
Since 2005, Belize has received over five hundred thousand dollars through the Ambassador’s Fund of Cultural Preservation. Read more stories on www.LoveFm.com
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