Omar Rivera:  Trial Farm, Belize
Video:  Omar introduces himself.  Download as you read!

Omar cutting me some sugarcane.  Trial Farm, Belize. Copyright (c)2000  PeaceBike.

Omar is fifteen years old and lives with his mother, his sister Veronica, and his grandma and grandpa.  Omar is involved in many community activities and works in Trial Farm as the village mail person.

PeaceBike:   Omar, let´s start with an easy question, like, what is your favorite food?
Omar:  I love chili rellenos and I must confess I also love junk food.

PeaceBike:   Do you have any idea what you would like to do for a profession later on in your life?
Omar:  I would like to be a teacher. I love kids. I already am a teacher in that I work with kids at my church and teach them.

PeaceBike:   What do think the first steps are to making this world more peaceful?
Omar:  Well, first I would start with the drug addicts. I have helped many drug addicts stop doing drugs and start interacting with friends in positive ways. Friends are a lot better than drugs anyway!

PeaceBike:   Well said! Omar what kinds of things do you like doing in your free time?
Omar:  I really enjoy traveling. I love writing letters to all of my different pen pals. In fact, I write letters to my pen pals every Saturday afternoon. I also like to use my new email account!

PeaceBike:   Omar speaking of pen pals, you told me that you have 25 pen pals. That is incredible! I know that some people don´t know what to do if their pen pals don´t write back to them. Any suggestions.
Omar:  Well, I just keep writing to my pen pals. If you are persistent they will write back to you. My rule is to write up to five letters to a pen pal and if they don´t write back I tell them in the fifth one that it is my last letter. But this very rarely happens because they usually write to me after the second or third letter.

PeaceBike:   Are you still interested in having more pen pals?
Omar:  Absolutely!  I enjoy getting to know lots of people from different countries. It is an important part of my life because I really learn what it is like to live in other countries!

PeaceBike:   Wow! I am very impressed. Sounds like you were already doing what PeaceBike hopes young people will do! Are you getting involved in PeaceBike even though you already have pen pals?
Omar:  Yes! We are starting a PeaceBike Club. We already have 17 members. We are going to write our letters together and then when we start getting letters from our PeaceBike Pen Pals we will meet again and read our letters. I am also working to link my youth group with other Catholic or Presbyterian youth groups in other countries!

PeaceBike:   Omar, you are an inspiration to me and an example for other young people. PeaceBike would love to hear reports on your PeaceBike Club`s activities and we will share them with others. Omar do you have a message you would like to share with other young people reading this interview?
Omar:  Yes! Please, always be friendly to those that you don´t know. They just might become your best friends!

PeaceBike:   Thank-you, Omar, for inviting me to your home and I thank your wonderful family as well!  I will miss you all!!!
Omar:  Thank-you for staying with us, Tad.

If you would like to send an email to Omar his email address is omarrivera_2@hotmail.com . If you are interested in starting your own PeaceBike Club he could give you some tips.

Please be concise and purposeful with your emails because using the internet in Belize is very expensive!

If you would like to write a letter to Omar send it to:

Omar Rivera
42 Trial Farm
San Vicente St.
Orange Walk Town
Belize, C. A.
(He´ll make sure it gets there, as he is the postman.)

Interview done May 11, 2000.
PeaceBike. All rights reserved.

Omar is Demonstrating the family´s well.

Omar and Veronica bagging the potato chip wheels that they make.  Their aunts will sell them later at local schools for morning snack time and lunch.