What’s really happening on Belize’s buses? From near-disasters on the highway to overcrowding, breakdowns, and a struggling industry weighed down by high fuel costs and low fares, this in-depth investigation reveals the daily realities of commuters and the uphill battle of operators.

Journalist André Habet takes you inside the stories of passengers, drivers, and bus owners to uncover the risks, frustrations, and potential solutions for public transportation in Belize.

✦ Why are bus operators struggling to survive?

✦ How do safety lapses put thousands of Belizeans at risk?

✦ Can the government’s proposed National Bus Company fix a broken system—or is it “Novelo’s 2.0”?

This is the story of an industry that affects everyone in Belize, whether you ride the bus every day or rely on the people who do.

Chapters

(00:00) Intro

(01:07) GC's Story

(04:30) Bargain Travel, Unknown Risks

(10:06) "Not that Bad, Not that Good, but It Can Be Better"

(14:12) Two Weeks in the Lives of Commuters

(16:48) The [Brief] Reign and Fall of Novelo's

(19:05) High Interest Rates, High Operational Costs: A Cutthroat Business

(26:04) Novelo's 2.0 and Other Solutions

(35:26) Uncertain Near Future

👉 View images, videos, and links related to the full investigation at ClimateSpotlight.com/bus

👉 Follow André Habet at andrehabet on TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn for more reporting.

In this episode of Mada Fyah, André Habet and guest Yaya Marin Coleman continue their conversation on the proposed cruise terminal and cargo expansion project at Port of Belize following the September 1 public consultation about the revised Environmental Impact Assessment. They discuss how the consultation went, the difference between a hearing and a consultation, and how environmental regulation has changed through revisions to legislation.

On the first episode of Mada Fyah after our extended hiatus, André Habet talks to returning guests and comrade YaYa Marin Coleman about the Escazú Agreement,  an international treaty signed by 25 Latin American and Caribbean nations concerning the rights of access to information about the environment, public participation in environmental decision-making, environmental justice, and a healthy and sustainable environment for current and future generations.

If you'd like your organization added to the list of contacts for the Escazú Agreement's awareness campaign, please visit this Google Doc and add your org's name and a URL or contact number/email.

For more on the Escaú Agreement, check out Krem Sunday Review's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/krem.sundayreview) for upcoming conversations with community leaders and experts from across the Caribbean and the rest of the world.

On this episode of Mada Fyah, Andre talks to Dassia Regada and Jonathan Tremillo of the Crocodile Research Coalition regarding their efforts to relocate crocodiles and teach people about the significance of crocodiles to Belize as biological indicators. 

Crocodile Research Coalition FB page
https://www.facebook.com/crocodileresearchcoalition/

Mada Fyah FB page

https://www.facebook.com/MadaFyah/

On this episode, André Habet talks to Tom Hines, a videographer with Feste Films and the creator of several videos chronicling the effects of climate change on Dangigra and the surrounding area. André spoke to Tom about what made him decide to develop these videos and how they align with his goal of increasing awareness of the effects climate change is already having on Belize. 

For this episode, host André Habet spoke to Jolie Pollard, founder, formulator, and manager of the haircare brand Ikooma. Ikooma is a seaweed-based line of haircare products that Pollard created over years of trial and error. Now two years into selling her products, Pollard spoke to me about her journalism past, her formulation process and her work with Placencia seaweed farmers whose labor forms the basis of her product. It was a great conversation with a few fun tangents. Hope you enjoy it.

Ikooma

https://ikoomahair.com/

In this episode of Mada Fyah André talks to Belizean youth climate activist Kiefer Mes. Kiefer is the president of the Southern Youth Development Organization and was recently selected to

represent Belize at the Global Conference of Youth in Scotland, the largest youth event that unites youth activists to discuss with global leaders solutions to environmental problems such as climate change.

Kiefer talks to André about his perspective on the climate crisis as a young activist in light of a survey report released the week of September 13 by Oxford University, showing that young folks across ten countries are overwhelmingly scared for their future in light of the impacts of global warming. He also discusses his early environmental education, his interest in mangrove planting, and his hopes for what the national government can do to mitigate the worse of the climate crisis.

'Young People's Voices on Climate Anxiety, Government Betrayal and Moral Injury: A Global Phenomenon' by Elizabeth Marks et al

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3918955

Kiefer Mes' online fundraiser to cover the cost of the trip
https://gogetfunding.com/coy/?fbclid=IwAR3mdPmfyU50NiBoWSWWDV2K1JnAsBIjHMvt45iKWv_L4-YaSWWRnn7QXdQ

In this episode, I’m sharing an interview with Yaya Marin Coleman, a community organizer and grassroots journalist currently investigating Port Loyola constituent’s familiarity with the Port of Belize Expansion project in Belize City. She shares with me her start in community work from an early age, her thoughts on how organizing can be made most effective, and her take on how Belizeans might proceed from here in reconstructing existing government systems to better serve more Belizeans.

Escazu Agreement Visual Explainer
https://observatoriop10.cepal.org/sites/default/files/escazu_agreement_art_7_en.pdf

In this episode, André Habet talks to Allie Johnstone who both independently and as a part of Caye Caulker Strong has dedicated much of the past two decades towards mangrove restoration projects on and around Caye Caulker. André and Allie discuss the origins of her interest in mangroves, her early days of guerilla planting on the island, and Caye Caulker Strong's efforts to shift people's views of mangroves as the essential wonders they are.


The Belize Mangrove Conservation Network
https://www.facebook.com/groups/111537467026
 

André talks to Maria Pech from Steadfast Tourism and Conservation Association (STACA). The two talk about environmental education, how STACA works to maintain community involvement and their efforts to conserve the North Stann Creek and Mullins River watersheds through data collection and community dialogues.

Check out STACA on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/stacaassistant28

Continuing our pause in our usual coverage, this week on Mada Fyah we bring you an interview with Alexander Evans, the composer, musician and teacher behind the Mada Fyah theme song in addition to co-founder of the Belize Afro-Indigenous Institute For The Visual And Performing Arts. They will be hosting a virtual event on August 1, 2021 called Sambai to commemorate Belize's first state-recognized Emancipation Day.

More on Sambai here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/827744634605549/?ti=ls

For this episode, we're taking a break from our regular coverage to bring you a conversation with friend of the podcast, Zyania Alonzo. In addition to being a brilliant artist, Zyania is also the owner of the kombucha company Longivetea and her eponymous crocheted item store Zyania. We talk about her curiosity, her passion for experimentation and taste test three kombucha flavors she’s working on. It’s a fun conversation that hopefully serves as a reminder of what we’re fighting for: to time and ability our crafts, to form community, and determine ways to do so while exploring our identities, including our connection to the world beyond ourselves.

Zyania Alonzo
https://zyaniaalonzo.com/

Longevitea

https://www.instagram.com/longevitea.bz/?igshid=kizzyhki3luq

On this episode, André and Digna talk about hurricanes with Shelton Defour, National Coordinator for the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) to discuss NEMO’s role in emergency response during hurricanes, the role civilians play in emergency response, and how global warming is altering the way storms move and change.

Additionally, André interviews Katie Numi Usher and Mercy Sabal, two artists unveiling a collaborative embroidery show at the rebranded Imagination Factri in Belize City on July 15, 2021.

Katie Numi Usher and Mercy Sabal Interview transcript

https://docs.google.com/document/d/18lp2pG6kJtHn5BJvmb5eXZdfXhMhcnYBMMBcU0VUiIA/edit?usp=sharing

Mr. Defour, NEMO National Coordinator Interview Transcript

https://docs.google.com/document/d/18pq7KJ90aL5fYdArMdqAKB1x5rz0q_WwEFcG4JFCm8g/edit?usp=sharing

NEMO's website
http://site.nemo.org.bz/

the newsletter piece by Alex Steffen referenced in the show's opening
https://alexsteffen.substack.com/p/were-not-yet-ready-for-whats-already

More information on the embroidery show
https://www.facebook.com/imagefactoryartfoundation/photos/a.144323447888/10159564164287889/

On this episode of Mada Fyah, André Habet talks to Nadia Bood of the World Wildlife Fund about mangroves. They go over the significance of mangroves to Belize's ecological well-being, their role in coastal conservation, and efforts to educate the public on their restoration and ecosystem services.

André also doubles up on his moment of gratitude and minute of rage in Digna's absence.

‘Eye of fire’: Gas leak sparks huge blaze on ocean surface off Mexico

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/03/eye-of-fire-gas-leak-sparks-huge-blaze-on-ocean-surface-off-mexico

Interview Transcript
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17YVTV1GGyGhIfxANc64eS-RRS3-KRQ1a1EaXawrfEbk/edit?usp=sharing

In this episode of Mada Fyah andré and Digna talk to Mr. Ismael Teul and Mr. Andre Marsden from Belize's Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT), a unique nationally conservation financing organization, to help better understand PACT’s scope of work and to talk about where PACT is now after 25 years since its founding.

andré also talks to his nephew Theo about his theory on what killed the dinosaurs, and the hosts share their minute of rage|moment of gratitude.

Mada Fyah will no longer be on Youtube.

interview transcript:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/16o48jseiIaHzwyWJJ5rC_V63poMW_KpGBIlvUoRmozY/edit?usp=sharing

'How to listen to podcasts: everything you need to know' by Rowan Slaney, 'The Guardian'

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/oct/07/how-to-listen-to-podcasts-everything-you-need-to-know

Our third installment in our series on the gillnet ban that went into effect in November 2020. andré talks to fishers that support the ban, Digna shares her experience receiving her first dose of the Astra Zeneca vaccine, and the two share their thoughts on where they've landed in regards with the ban.

Plus, their moment of gratitude|minute of rage, and a special cameo from andré's niece and nephew.

The recent review ruling regarding the gillnet ban.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uHEbfMI4k_blywF4JIrz4a38EAEcaomX/view?usp=sharing

Mada Fyah Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/madafyah

interview transcript
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17Tc7SpYWae17ZK93lvazMBeISMpixuwiGeAPjPsSJqQ/edit?usp=sharing

listen on Youtube
https://youtu.be/PJ1kBjtTVV8

On this episode of Mada Fyah, andré and Digna talk about Covid-19 and the vaccines. They get into medical racism, vaccine hesitancy, and André's experience getting the first dose. In the episode's interview they also talk to Dr. Beer from the Ministry of Health and Wellness to get some answers to our listeners' questions submitted to our Facebook page. Get the vaccine. It'll save your life.

Interview Transcript
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IvG2SKwR7owShgZkJpSberv-fYZXDlUv7UK2CG2Pmk8/edit?usp=sharing

Listen on Youtube

https://youtu.be/_tv6ciLCWcg

On this episode of Mada Fyah, André and Digna talk to Dr. Elma Kay of the University of Belize Environmental Research Institute (UBERI) about forest conservation in Belize, including the Maya Forest Corridor in Central, a new trust in development intended to connect Belize's Maya Mountains and Northern Reserve. They also discuss carbon and carbon rights, Dr. Kay's early experiences in the forest and Digna and André share their moment of gratitude and minute of rage.

Green Wars: Conservation and Decolonization in the Maya Forest by Megan Ybarra
(https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520295186/green-wars)

A Guardian article on The Nature Conservancy
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/apr/22/teeming-with-biodiversity-activists-buy-up-belize-rainforest-to-stop-logging-in-perpetuity-aoe

Listen on Youtube
https://youtu.be/4XFtoYr0QiU

Interview Transcript

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ndq0v8ximOLsD6qRfsikeXN-mfewJVCIRTBIA_mH1WY/edit?usp=sharing

On the seventh episode of Mada Fyah, Digna and André talk permaculture with Christopher Nesbitt, farmer and steward of Maya Mountain Research Farm (https://www.facebook.com/MayaMountainResearchFarm). The hosts and Nesbitt talk about how permaculture differs from the industrial monocrop paradigm, and how industrial agriculture can adapt to better care for the environment and profit employees.

Listen on Youtube
https://youtu.be/hwqrDK1WLPA

Interview Transcript
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vEwRNFmkX5FKpTiHoP9CZvTlhvJ8OXJjSEbY2LBFHiU/edit?usp=sharing

Digna and André talk forest fire management with Eugenio Ah and Gustavo Requena of Ya'axché Conservation Trust and Mario Muschamp of Toledo Institute for Development and the Environment (TIDE). The three guests share their insights and experiences developing forest fire management programs in broadleaf, pine, and savannah ecosystems in Belize and discuss the causes of fire and ways Belizeans can better address them.

Bonus: Digna is back and shares with André her experiences working with the Friends of Conservation and Development (FCD) on their scarlet macaw monitoring program!!!

Interview Transcript

https://docs.google.com/document/d/16B-xzbwxD98gdFETPpI_OlHDVRkGJ4orqx7QuCJfpbI/edit?usp=sharing

Listen on Youtube
https://youtu.be/sH1AMB_lhOw

The Wildland Fire Management Policy and Strategy in development since 2009 (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dqWD0d4722097iNrClNqtb5gFDVBS5gp/view?usp=sharing)

If you'd like to donate to Ya'axché's fire management efforts, visit here (https://yaaxche.org/support-us/get-involved/).

If you'd like to donate to TIDE's fire management efforts, visit here (https://tidebelize.org/)

FCD's scarlet macaw monitoring project described here (https://belizebirdconservancy.org/scarlet-macaw-project)