YWCA of Belize Sonia Lenares is the Woman of the Year

The first US Embassy Woman of the year competition ended with the announcement of the winner. There were ten outstanding finalists but the woman in the spotlight is the General Secretary of the Belize YWCA, Sonia Lenares who has devoted more than fifty years to empowering women and youth. Lenares was thrilled at receiving the honour and Ambassador Vinai Thummalapally says the selection was no easy task.

Lenares started out as a teacher, but had to resign for medical reasons. She found something to occupy her time when she started working with the Y, but that soon evolved into a life mission to help others. She says the success stories are what has kept her going all these years.

“It’s the impact of what we do at the Y. On any bad day, you can go in and you will see something positive happening. It’s just the baby in the crib making that beautiful smile, the preschool children with a hug, young women would come in after graduating to say how well they are doing, walking the streets we see women who hail us and tell us I own my own business I am doing well. You go by the pool and you see so many children learning to swim; it gives you that feeling that YWCA is doing something good for Belize, ” says Sonia

Both Ann-Marie Williams, the Executive Director of the National Women’s Commission and Ambassador Thummalapally agree that Lenares’ work stood out among the other nominees.

Vinai Thummalapally

“Not just the length of service but the impact to the Belizean community, the Belizean women through the YWCA organization particularly and how tirelessly she has devoted her time. She continues to have the same level of excitement, enthusiasm and influence in the work that she’s doing.”

Ann-Marie Williams, Executive Director, National Women’s Commission

“I think it couldn’t happen to a nicer woman. She has worked diligently, she has worked often times without any rewards and whatever she has done, she’s always done in the best interest of the YWCA; worked to empower the lives of women and girls. The Y in Belize, over half a century of existence and it continues to work to change lives and change communities. Miss Lenares has a good heart and because of that, those type of people should never go unnoticed.”

But for Lenares, the honours go way beyond Belize’s borders as she will be the US Embassy’s nominee for the 2010 US Secretary of State’s International Woman of courage Award.

Vinai Thummalapally

“Each country essentially has the option—not everybody will send nominees but we found out that whoever wins, the winner of this year’s Belize Woman of the Year Award will be automatically the nominee to the United States. So Ms. Lenares’ name as a nominee will be a tremendous honor and recognition of Belizeans on a whole.”

Sonia Lenares

“When somebody mentioned that to me, I didn’t even want to think about it. I just wanted to reach this hurdle for today and then probably after this I’ll think about that. But as I said, I’m just me, working at the YWCA to improve the lives of women and children.”

Ann-Marie Williams

“I think where women are not properly represented and where their voices are not heard, they sort of become invisible. So I think an opportunity like this by the embassy—it’s the first of its kind and it falls in perfectly because it’s Women’s Month—brings into sharp focus the contributions women have made and continue to make in this society.”

The other nine finalists as well as the panel of judges were rewarded with certificates of recognition during today’s ceremony.

"This is indeed recognition of Sonia's leadership in Belize over the years and a testimony of how the YWCA develops women leaders who in turn develop other women leaders", says World YWCA Regional Programme Director for Americas and the Caribbean Marie-Claude Julsaint.