Seine Bight Reservoir to Transform into Garifuna Cultural and History Museum: BZ$100K Fundraising Drive Continues

By SARITA LAMBEY GARCIA Chairperson, Seine Bight Reservoir to Museum Foundation (SBRMF) seinebightreservoirmuseum@gmail.com

Construction and fundraising efforts are going full steam ahead to build a local Garifuna cultural and history museum in Seine Bight Village on the Placencia Peninsula. This unique tourist attraction promises to bring increased promotional value to the community, a cultural learning experience for residents and Peninsula visitors, additional financial growth for businesses and improved economic opportunities for local people. The proposed museum will tell the story of Seine Bight’s rich culture and history through exhibits and displays organized around artifacts and information from oral histories, community-generated maps, and archival documents.

Architect's rendering of the proposed Garifuna cultural heritage and history museum in Seine Bight Village.

The Seine Bight Reservoir to Museum Foundation is appealing to the public to join the drive to transform the village water reservoir located along the Peninsula Main Road into a local Garifuna museum of culture and history. The Foundation with the support of its many partners has already raised over BZ$50,000 towards the financial goal of BZ$100,000 and has completed five phases of construction encompassing the groundwork of the museum space. Prospective donors can assist in this effort by giving a monetary donation or an in-kind contribution of materials or labor. The Foundation is counting on the public’s participation and support to accomplish what will be a significant milestone towards the revitalization of Seine Bight Village and a boost in tourism for the Placencia Peninsula.

The Seine Bight Reservoir to Museum Foundation (SBRMF) is a registered non-profit organization in Belize (Certificate # 21986) established in July 2014 by a group of Seine Bight natives to transform the historic village water reservoir in Seine Bight village into a local Garifuna cultural and historical museum. The community-based organization is composed of a steering committee coordinated by a seven-member executive committee and over 30 regional liaison officers residing across Belize, the U.S., and the West Indies. The “Foundation,” as it is locally known, is partnering with members of the Seine Bight Village Council, the Seine Bight Branch of the National Garifuna Council, the Belize National Institute of Culture and History, Department of Museum and Houses of Culture and the Department of Anthropology at the University of South Florida to design, fund, develop, and maintain the proposed museum to promote the cultural, educational, and economic aspirations of the village, the Garifuna community, and the country of Belize. The SBRMF is tasked with overseeing all aspects of the museum space transformation including: fundraising, construction, research, collection of artifacts, materials, maps, and displays, organization of the museum and personnel, and the selection of an appropriate name.▪

Construction progressing on site at the historic Seine Bight water reservoir.

Sarita Lambey Garcia, Eric Koenig and members of the Foundation sell Garifuna food at roadside fundraiser for the proposed museum. Koenig has been working on graduate research relating to the project at the Department of Anthropology at the University of South Florida, a key SBRMF partner.

Museum Sponsorship Levels:

Donors who qualify for any of the categories below will be recognized on an affixed plaque in the museum. By donating, your family’s or organization’s name will be given a permanent place inside.

Diamond Sponsor: BZ$5,000 and up

Platinum Sponsor : BZ$1,000 to $4,999

Gold Sponsor : BZ$500 to $999

Silver Sponsor: BZ$201 to $499

Bronze Sponsor : BZ$100 to $200

Cash or checks can be deposited into the Seine Bight Reservoir to Museum Foundation’s account at Belize Bank (Belize Bank Account #160476010120001). Checks can be mailed to: P.O. Box 606 Belmopan, Cayo District, Belize, Central America. The Treasurer of the Foundation, Mrs. Hermia Arzu of the Seine Bight Western Union office is also authorized to accept donations. For information on how to contribute, volunteer or get involved, please contact Sarita L. Garcia, Chair of the SBRMF, at (501)-602-5417 or by email at seinebightreservoirmuseum@gmail.com. You can also find us on Facebook.com/seinebightreservoirtomuseumfoundation/