Lessons learned

He who opens a school door, closes a prison-Victor Hugo

We're finally home after a very long day and night of travel. I'm still trying to process all that we've learned, and experienced while visiting Holy Cross Anglican School.

The education system in Belize is very different from in Canada. The Ministry of Education requires that children in Belize go to school until standard 8, which is roughly the same as our 8th grade.In reality only 1 in 4 will stay in school until standard 8. The governement also has a resposiblility to provide wages for teachers in a school. The government doesn't provide resources, uniforms,equipment,books, exam fees etc....Some of the money needed for these things are provided for through student fees,and church and community donations.

Holy Cross Anglican School was built because the children in the area of San Mateo were not attending any school, or may have been asked to leave the school they were attending. The government gave the school's founders Vernon and Francis Wilson a piece of the lagoon, 8 1/2 acres, to build a school on. Piece by piece the school has been built, and now is bursting at the seams with 500+ students.

These children were born into the cycle of poverty, abuse, and neglect.Many of the family units are not necessarily healthy ones.

These children were not attending school, and definetly had no hope of finishing primary school.

To these children, going beyond standard 8 to high school, was impossible, not even a dream.

I've learned that because two people cared enough to start a school, a community has the tools to change. I've learned that there are very devoted individuals who continue to commit so much of their lives to the betterment of this school community.

I've learned that regardless of what skill, or perceived lack of skills, that you think you have, you would be surprised at how useful it can be to a school.

Zack and I have learned so much during our time spent in Belize. I will be starting to develop a plan for how I can best support the school while living here. I'll also be returning to the school, as soon as I'm able. (love to have some company! )

I look forward to sharing updates on Holy Cross Anglican School

The best Laid plans

Hurricane Rina was fortunately not all she was cracked up to be. Thursday morning brought blue skies, and calm, clear water again. In spite of there being no tropical storm to speak of, school was still closed. The residents of San Mateo had been evacuated as the homes in that community were at risk. They are mainly constructed from scraps of plywood, and sit on stilts over the lagoon. Most of the students at Holy Cross live in San Mateo, and were not back from the mainland yet. Many teachers were also absent, as they too took advantage of the government's evacuation to the mainland.

Friday brought more blue sky, more calm clear water, and heat. Wow. We're talking about having to change your t-shirt multiple times throughout the day out of necessity heat ! We arrived at school happy to find the doors open, and the chatter of the children again. There were still many students and teachers absent, so the day had to be put togther as best as possible.

Zack and I again returned to the student /teacher resource room, dreading the dust and no air. The lights were out. Off we went to find Mr Freddie , or Mr. Jason the maintenance men. The lights were discussed and fussed over, and finally the light in the resource room was working.We reaquainted ourselves with the system we had planned, when, the lights went out again. We made our way through the dark library, through the semi dark computer lab, towards the exit door to the outside. As we did so, we both heard the word fire(in a relaxed kind of way) and quickened our step.

Yes ,there were some sparks going off at the transmitter. The resource room, would be in the dark for the morning, or day , and therefore need to remain closed. We were ready for shirt change number one after our ten minutes in there, so we weren't too sad.

Zack spent his time helping Mr. Freddie and Mr. Jason clean out the sewing room, as that's where many outdoor supplies were kept during the hurricane scare, and I helped the sewing volunteers start to put their room back together. As I did so we chatted, about sewing, kids, the difference between girls and boys, normal mom stuff. Zack and Jason talked about life and work, and the difference between each country's system.We read again, to Infant 1, and when we were short on books, we told tales about our very naughty dog named Jasper

We walked home with a little guy from the Infant 1 class that we had read too. He told us about the large fish he had caught. His dad had caught lots more, but he assured us that his was really, really big

We planned to work all week, that didn't work out so well. We planned to organize a resource room.... not so much. We didn't plan to talk to the sewing volunteers, or Mr Jason, to read to Infant 1 again,and walk home in the heat with a 5 year old and discuss fishing. Somehow, we are the ones that are better for it.

Snow Day

Zack and I arrived at Holy Cross Tuesday morning ready, and determined to make sense of the student/teacher resource"room". We were greeted with an empty school yard, and boards on the windows.

We had heard rumours of a hurricane in the Atlantic, but weren't too concerned;it didn't appear to be headed our way. After seeing the school was closed we thought maybe, just maybe, we're wrong.Well this new bit of info brought on a day filled with ups and downs as we watched the internet, and stayed in close contact with the hotel staff. The last flight out left at noon today and after much deliberation, and signing away the hotels legal responsibility, we buckled in and started to prepare.

We bought our supplies, flashlights, candles, basic groceries, and kept updating with the other guests at the hotel. We watched the horizon, which did look pretty bleak, and we took walks around town, watching as the locals prepared for what could have been a very life altering few days.

Throughout the day the storm has lost it's intensity, and seems to be heading away from us. This afernoon the town seemed to relax just a little. The kids are playing in the water, trying to body surf on the random waves that are washing up. The parents stand in groups and watch, laughing when some unsuspecting person strolls by and gets caught by a wave. The piers are crowded with local fishermen, taking advantage of the surge of water, and the time off to fish.

It's a snow day here in San Pedro, and thankfully that's all I will remember it as.

the same only different

Zack and I were asked to read to the children today during lunch. The students eat in the cafeteria with their teachers, then return to the classroom. They don't play outside, as the playround is currently a safety concern. The teacher doesn't get a break, as someone needs to be with the children. So we read, and provided a few minutes of peace for their teachers.

We both read to an Infant 1 classroom, which would be equivalent to kindergarten. Of course without consulting we both picked The Cat in the Hat, well, who wouldn't.

As I read I observed the classroom dynamic. There was the girl who sat right in front of me, and always had her hand up, or was nodding to affirm any comment I made. There was a little boy, very small for his age, who spoke in whispers, and whose eyes were riveted to the progression of the story.

There was the girl next to him, who was sound asleep on her desk, which the quick to please student across from her was quick to point out. There was a girl in the back, intent on getting the attention of those around her by her silly behaviour, and the so cool with the slicked hair boy, beside her, that was falling for it everytime.

Before and after our reading we were given the task of cleaning and organizing the student workbook room. While going through endless piles of used book, we would point out all the funny words, and drawings that were written on the brown paper that covered the wornout book. " Peaceout", "Allissia+alexandro forever", scribbles of stars, hearts, and random squiggles

At lunch we eat in the cafeteria, and observed that all the girls sit in clusters, and all the boys sit together. There is no interest in speaking to each other during free time. Although, as the older girls in grade 7 and 8 get up and clear their plates, the older boys notice, and feel the need to provoke comment as they walk by.

They live in a world that's very different from ours, yet so much is the same.Those universal things that make us human.

All work and no play......

Would make Zack a dull boy. Holy Cross School isn't open on the weekends, so Zack and I were able to enjoy island life for 48 hours.

San Pedro is a tourist destination, and a working, living town for Belizean families. When you come, you're enjoying life as a tourist as people around you carry on with their daily lives, and routine. You get a real sense of place from this. An authenticity from the people you encounter.

There's no large corperate development on San Pedro. The hotels are small, local run Inns. There are condo's, some getting quite luxuious, but again locally owned. The restaurants are family owned, and run the gamut from island fare, which is barbequed chicken or fish with rice and beans and coleslaw, and El Salvadorian, Mexican, even Lebanese food.

Groceries are easy to buy, so you're able to cook in your condo. Anything made in Belize, and local, fresh produce, are fairly inexpensive, imported items are pricey. We've learned to buy a local lady's tortilla chips and salsa, instead of an American brand. You do so first out of financial necessity, and the second, third, fourth.... time because, well, they're just delicious.

Snorkeling and diving are the big attraction here, and we were able to go out yesterday for a few hours. We visited a marine park called Hol Chan which is filled with coral and sea life. Our second stop was Shark Alley, which is an area that attracts Nurse Sharks. There were alot of them. It was rough water....I have lots of photos of them from the boat.

This place gets to you.It took no time to fall into the easy rythym of life. We know the cashew man, keep saying no thanks, the cigar man, still saying no thanks, the cute little girls selling peanuts, have lots of those now!

We've enjoyed our weekend, and feel ready for whatever Holy Cross has in store for us this week

other side of the tracks

First a geography lesson. Belize is in Central America, south of Mexico. Ambergris Caye is the largest Island off the coast of Belize, and San Pedro is it's town. San Pedro's got a great vibe; small restaurants, dive shops and bars line the sand or cobbled streets. The main form of transportation is golf carts. Tourists come for the amazing snorkeling, diving, and the very laid back beach culture.

Just across the bridge from the town of San Pedro lies a very different world. It's a small community called San Mateo. San Mateo was attractive to people who were'nt able to afford housing. They were given a patch of land, for very little, and told they could build a house there. The problem is that the land was a lagoon. So resourceful people have built their homes on stilts over the lagoon. The area was built up without electricity, running water or sewage.

Holy Cross School is across that bridge, in San Mateo. There are approximately 1500 people who live in San Mateo, 560 of them are now students at Holy Cross School.

These students live across the tracks, so to speak, and that's where Zack and I will be spending some of our time in Belize