Clark-Peterek Belize

Little Flower R.C. School Graduation

Graduation from primary school is widely celebrated throughout the country of Belize, and last week we attended graduation ceremony of the Standard VI students from Little Flower R.C. School.

Teachers, family, and friends gathered to celebrate in Forest Home Village. Students were excited and ready for the ceremony. The Minister of Human Development and Social Transformation, the Honorable Eden Martinez was the guest speaker. Students received diplomas and awards and performed a song for the audience. John was even honored for his service at Little Flower and received a certificate and gift. After the ceremony we enjoyed a wonderful dinner with the faculty and staff of Little Flower.

We had a lovely time and we enjoyed the celebration.

Earthquake Update

Last night a 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck at 2:24 a.m. off the coast of Honduras sending shock waves throughout Central America.  We awoke to the house violently shaking. Not knowing what was happening we vacated the premises.  There was minimal damage to homes in Punta Gorda, while several coastal communities to the north received significant damage.  We were pretty shaken up, having experienced our first earthquake.  We are safe, and Peace Corps is taking every precaution to ensure our health and safety.  For the most part things have returned to normal here in PG.  Thank you for your prayers and concerns. 

You can read more about the earthquake here.  

COS Conference

A few weeks ago we headed to San Ignacio Town to Cahal Pech Village Resort for our Close of Service Conference, a three-day training on wrapping up our time as Peace Corps Volunteers in Belize.  While a major focus of the conference for Omnibus ’09 was transitioning to the next thing, we had extensive conversations on development, sharing our Peace Corps experience, exiting the U.S. Government, health care after Peace Corps, remembering those who are no longer with us, and continuing a life of service.  For many this was the last time we would see each other, and it was a great way to say good-bye.

We had such a nice time at the COS Conference, and we can't believe our time here in Belize is coming to an end. 

Happy Earth Day!

4th Annual Toledo Food Fair

On Friday, schools, businesses, and organizations from all over Toledo celebrated the 4th Annual Toledo Food Fair, celebrating healthy minds, healthy bodies, and a healthy Belize.  The Food Fair was sponsored by Coca-Cola and Crystal Water, Plenty Belize, and the Ministry of Education.  Over 300 people gathered at Union Field to eat, learn, and play.  Several schools and organizations set up booths and stalls selling healthy and delicious food, snacks, and drinks.  Others set up demonstration booths.  Barranco School demostrated how to make cassava bread and Golden Stream Government School prepared corn.  BCVI and the HIV/AIDS Committee also set up booths and handed out information.  Plenty Belize also announced the winners of the Home Garden Contest.  We both had several students receive awards including Most Variety of Plants, Most Beautiful, and  3rd Place Overall.

The Food Fair was a huge success.  Everyone had a great time.      

John, Mitchell, and Zander answering questions at the Toledo HIV/AIDS Committee Booth.

Forest Home Methodist School's "Healthy Eating" presentation. 

Winners of the 'Most Variety of Plants Award' from Forest Home Methodist School. 

Makind cassave bread. 

St. Benedict School studnets at the BCVI both learning about eye care. 

   

La Ruta Maya River Challenge - Day 2 & 3

We woke up around 4:30a.m. to prepare for the longest day of the La Ruta Maya.  We prepared food and water for the paddlers and headed to the riverbank for the 60 mile journey.  After we cheered everyone on at the start, we packed up camp and headed to the first drop site.  We met the teams at Never Delay, a small village off the Western Highway.  From there, I headed to the airport to pick up our friends Todd and Rachel.  While I was at the airport, Liz headed to the next stop with a fellow Peace Corps Support Crew, and met the team at Double Head Cabbage. 

After our quick trip to the airport, we set up camp at Bermudian Landing in the school yard.  Bermudian Landing is inside the Community Baboon Sanctuary.  Often called baboons, black howler monkeys can be heard for miles around.  The team saw a few on the river, and we heard them throughout the night!  Later that evening, we stood on the river bank and cheered as the Machaca Hill Jaguars finished the day with a time of 11:02.  The boys were tired and ready for some rest. 
 

On Sunday morning we woke up bright and early, ready to get going.  Todd & Rachel brought down a few items sent by my parents.  The energy gel, electrolytes, gloves, muscle cream, and snacks were a huge hit and gave the team the extra push they needed for the 35 miles.  Day 2 was definitely the most challenging day for the Machaca Hill Jaguars, but they did their best to make up time on Day 3.

We caught up with the teams at Flowers Bank.  They were making great time and feeling good.  Next we made another trip to the airport to drop off Alex, while our fellow Peace Corps Support Team cheered on the Machaca Hill Jaguars and the other Peace Corps boats at Davis Bank.  We set up camp on the grounds of the Black Orchid Resort in Burrell Boom. 

Burrell Boom had quite the party, with people from all over the surrounding area joining in the fun.  The Peace Corps HIV/AIDS Committee had a table set up and were passing out information.  Everyone was excited to see the boats finish for the day. 

We met our team at the finish line, and helped carry their gear to camp.  The Machaca Hill Jaguars finished the day in 6:38, coming in 78th out of eighty-eight boats. We got a good night’s rest to prepare for the final day of the La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge. 

Peace Corps Week

Celebrate Peace Corps Week!  This week marks the 48th Anniversary of Peace Corps, founded on March 1, 1961, when John F. Kennedy signed an executive order establishing the governmnet agency.  Read more about this week-long celebration and find out about local and nation wide events here. 

Home Garden Contest

Students all over the Toledo District are preparing for the 2nd Annual Home Garden Contest sponsored by Plenty Belize.  The contest was announced in November, and many students have been working hard tending to their home gardens.   The judging will take place in just a few weeks at the Toledo Food Fair. Students will be judged on the following areas: variety of plants, mulching & fertilizing procedures, aesthetics and beauty of garden, amount of produce, and logbooks. John and I have been making the rounds to our students’ gardens, checking on their progress and offering help and advice. We have seen some great gardens and some potential winners. 

 

 

 

 

 

Water Fountains

A few weeks ago water fountains were constructed at St.Benedict R.C. School.  This project, which also includes building and upgrading restroom facilities at all primary schools in the Toledo District, was organized by TOLCA, the Program for Toledo Children and Adolescents.  TOLCA is a network of government and non-government organizations that share a common goal of improving the lives of women, children, and adolescents.  This water sanitation project was funded by UNICEF. 

The teachers at St. Benedict have been working with the students on how to use the water fountains properly.  The kids have been so excited about the water fountains and love to "practice" drinking water.  Most have a gotten the hang of it, can't wait for break time to have a drink. 

Infant I Students practicing how to use the new water fountains. 

Cattle Landing Community Center

Last weekend we celebrated with fellow Peace Corps Volunteers and communty members at the re-opening of the Cattle Landing Community Center and the unveiling of the Cattle Landing Historical Mural. 

 

Cattle Landing is about a mile outside of Punta Gorda, on the final curve of the Southern Highway next the Caribbean Sea.  John and Cheryl, fellow PCV’s, worked with Village Leaders, community members, and students at St. Phillip’s R.C. School to clean up, refurbish, and paint a mural depicting the history of Cattle Landing Village. 

The Cat Landing Community Center was packed and the ceremony included performances by community members and students.  The Toledo East Area Representative, Honorable Eden Martinez, Minister of Human Development and Social Transformation, addressed the crowd, as did the school principal and Village Council Chairperson.

 

John and Cheryl have done some outstanding work in Cattle Landing. It was great to see a community come together and support such an important project.  The ceremony was wonderful, and we were glad to be a part of this joyous celebration. 

Great work John and Cheryl!