MS. BRUNELDA ALVARADO

Elizabeth Pridgeon

“Some men are born to greatness; some achieve greatness; and some have greatness thrust upon them” (William Shakespeare).

An appreciation of this quote depends upon one’s definition of greatness, which is often associated with worldwide fame, fortune and reputation.  Yet skimming through various dictionaries, I found many other definitions beside, which seemed accurate descriptions of this week’s Nation Builder, Ms. Brunelda Alvarado.  She is superior in quality, noble in character, a distinguished member of society and has made outstanding contributions to her local community throughout the course of her life.  Greatness of spirit and soul doesn’t require fame and fortune to accompany it (and indeed may be jeopardized by it), and for this reason there are numerous nation builders, like Ms. Brunelda, who are being discovered somewhat ‘off the beaten track’ (metaphorically, and in this case, geographically too, as I had to bump down the Old Northern Highway to find her!).

Born to a Costa Rican father and a Mexican mother, Ms. Brunelda was certainly not born to financial greatness or social stature as she grew up on her family’s farm between the villages of Boston and Lucky Strike.  Despite her humble beginnings, Ms. Brunelda has become, in her own way, a role-model, an outstanding contributor to Belizean society, and an influential activist and community leader within her own social setting.  And yet she is one of the most modest ladies imaginable, still living a humble life and apparently seeking no more than is sufficient to sustain herself and her family.

Ms. Brunelda was born the 7^th child of 15, and as one of the oldest girls, she took her responsibility as caretaker very seriously while growing up.  She admits that she often went hungry in order to be able to feed her younger siblings, and she lived with few material possessions of her own, mainly surviving with poorly-fitting hand-me-downs from her older siblings.  Throughout this hardship, Ms. Brunelda learnt an appreciation of how the natural environment can provide, and today her 15-acre lot is full to bursting with animals, poultry, turtles, and abundant fruit trees, all of which she tends with care and dedication, harvesting only sufficient to feed herself and her family, and the occasional visitor.

Ms. Brunelda is a fine example of someone who maintains a sustainable livelihood, barely affecting the natural habitat in which she lives, which is increasingly important in today’s environmentally destructive society.  However, the real reason behind Ms. Brunelda having been nominated as a nation builder is that she has given numerous people hope when all others had given up on them.  Following a stint in the States, where Ms. Brunelda involved herself in charitable work, she returned to her home in the Belize District and accompanied church groups on visits to Hattieville Prison.  Once a month for many years (first with the Nazarene Church and then with the Methodist Church), Ms. Brunelda travelled to the prison in the hope of helping inmates find a solution to their predicaments and seek a better future for themselves.  Ms. Brunelda focused on convicted youths in particular, who she wholeheartedly encouraged to put their faith in God.  She would read verses from the Bible to anyone wishing to listen; she would sing songs, pray with them for salvation, and offer them the opportunity to merely converse with someone from ‘outside’, which is one of the most sought-after privileges for all prisoners.  The fact that so many of the people she was helping were mere teenagers, who should still be in school instead of out on the streets committing petty thefts, assault and – in some cases – even murder, was enough incentive to encourage Ms. Brunelda to continue her monthly visits.  She also recognized the hope she could give inmates just by succumbing to their demands and giving them a shilling or a dollar, which is something few people understand (unless they have been a prisoner themselves at one time or another).  Aside from working throughout the various Tango subdivisions within jail, her work also extended into the women’s quarters, where she strove to help female inmates create for themselves a better, more Christian future.  Patience is a huge requirement for charitable work such as this, and Ms. Brunelda encourages hasty people to remember that ‘the Lord didn’t build the world in a day’, showing the faith that has inspired her to continue helping people all these years, with no obvious personal gain or motive.

Ms. Brunelda believes she was chosen as ‘special’ out of all of her family: she has always been driven to achieve the best she possibly can, and to help as many people along her way as she encounters.  She currently cares for her terminally ill brother, and just last year adopted an orphan boy who needs considerable extra support (both educationally and emotionally).  Yet this life-changing challenge doesn’t seem to faze Ms. Brunelda in the slightest, and she even talks about organizing a visa for the boy to be able to study in the States in future years.  And even in times of adversity, such as throughout her turbulent marriage, and in the aftermath of the tragic death of her teenage daughter, Ms. Brunelda never ceased to have faith in God, and always knew that she is here for a reason, and that reason is to help other people.

Ms. Brunelda may not be someone who has made Belize famous, nor someone who has trekked the four corners of the country campaigning for social justice and national harmony, but the contributions Ms. Brunelda has made to Belize and its people over the years are just as praise-worthy and it is for her work with the spiritually and socially ‘lost’ in Hattieville Prison that, this week, the Belize Times ‘Nation Builder of Belize’ is Ms Brunelda Alvarado.

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