Extra items donated to the school in support of student learning were picture dictionaries, geometry sets, and magnifying glasses. Additionally, toilet paper, hand soap, and soap dispensers were gifted to the school for use as needed. With the help of a volunteer contractor and others, work continued on the SHVF school building. Unfortunately, the official school naming ceremony had to be postponed due to time constraints and poor weather. More SHVF programs included Self Breast Exam classes, Dental Hygiene classes, and ESL(English as a Second Language) classes. The Self Breast Exam classes were supplemented by inspiring and informative talks from volunteer speaker Elvina James, a survivor of breast cancer who graciously shared her personal story and the importance of early detection. Laminated pamphlets with detailed self-breast exam instructions and other informative materials were given to those who attended the class. A large dental model was used in the Dental Hygiene class to teach the students and others how to properly brush and floss; this class was followed by the distribution of coloring books and crayons to the children who came. The ESL classes — SHVF’s newest initiative— were attended by moms, daughters, grandmothers, and granddaughters, all eager to learn.
Belize is an English speaking Central American country located on the Caribbean coast of Northern America. It has a diverse population of approximately 380,000, the majority of which is made up of Creole(African-European), Mestizos(Hispanic-Amerindian), Maya(Yucatec and Mopan), Garifuna(African-Amerindian), and others. According to the United Nations Development Program in Belize, in 2016 the poverty rate was 41.3%, and slightly over half of the country’s population lives in rural areas.
During the meeting, plans for the school building and health fairs were presented and discussed, and resolutions were adopted. Once the plans were approved by the village council, SHVF was allowed to proceed with its programs and work. In a place with few cell phones and no electricity, communication and organizing can be a challenge. In a village of about 100 families, formal announcements are still made door to door by the Alcalde and others. The Alcaldes were instrumental in getting the word out to the village women about the health class, focusing on breast cancer. In attendance were young and older woman, and some were accompanied by their small children. Using an open question and answer platform a discussion was held, during which a realistic breast prototype was used to teach the woman how to perform an effective self breast exam. For many of the women, this was their first time participating in such a class, at first, some were shy and apprehensive. However, as the class progressed the women became excited, silly, and engaging. By the end of class they were initiating conversations amongst themselves, and expressing interest in other health topics to me. In the following days, local volunteers were gathered and supplies were purchased, in preparation for work on the school. A couple of days were spent removing furnishings, and meticulously power washing the exterior and interior of the school. Once dried and prepped, priming and painting began. Due to the rainy season, our work was often interrupted and delayed by thunderstorms and rain. Some other unforeseen challenges of working in such a rural area, where the difficulty we faced in finding enough materials to complete the project in a timely manner. Long distances were traveled by car and boats, and countless hours were spent searching for paint, and other materials. While much progress was made on the building during our time there, it became very clear more than a of couple weeks were needed to complete such a large project, to be continued. In between our work, we distributed school supplies to the Mayan children in Medina Bank Village, and to the Garifuna students at St. Alphonsus school in Seine Bight. A huge thanks to all of the Medina Bank residents who pitched in and helped out with the work, they were so accommodating to the SHVF volunteers. This was a very productive service trip much progress was made and a lot was accomplished.