RotaryClub

New World Villages partners with Rotary Clubs to bring technology and the Internet to schools in Belize.

The Rotary Club's Computers for the World program completed two very successful computer laboratory construction projects in Belize in 2002 and 2004. Recently, New World Villages (NWV) proposed a third, large-scale computer project in association with the Bellevue Rotary Club of Washington state. The project goal was to donate computers, software, and local area networking (LAN) materials and ship them from Seattle to Belize for installation in a number of schools. With the Belize City Rotary Club hosting the effort, the project was well on its way!

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Securing the commitment and funding for this project was challenging. It began when New World Villages co-founder, Elaine Moran, proposed the project to various Seattle-area Rotary Clubs. Bellevue Rotary Club members were very supportive of the idea, but before they could make a financial commitment, a Rotary Club host was required in Belize.

After discussions with various clubs, the Belize City Rotary Club expressed an interest in the project. In late August 2006, Elaine presented the proposal to its membership. After a thorough review, the Belize City club enthusiastically supported the proposal to bring technology and the Internet to area schools. This commitment of matching funds and manpower was the final link to securing the $25,000 grant needed for the project.

The Belizean schools targeted for receipt of computer labs included:

~Julian Cho Technical Secondary School near Big Falls, Toledo District

~The Little Flower Roman Catholic Primary School in Forest Home, Toledo District

~St. Matthew Anglican Primary School in Pomona, Stann Creek District

~St. Peter Anglican Primary School in Orange Walk Town, Orange Walk District

The new computer labs would enable students and teachers to learn about computers and technology, as well as gain access to online educational curriculum. With these labs, Belizean students would expand their education and begin to connect to the world's global economy. In addition, they would become more highly educated and able to seize new economic opportunities and reduce poverty in their local communities.

In 2006, there were 16 computers at Julian Cho

Technical School, serving as many as 100 students

per day. This project would add 20 additional computers

to the existing laboratory, thereby enabling additional

students to receive specialty training in the computer

sciences. This computer laboratory may also serve as

a community information center, offering night classes

for adults and community access to the Internet.

The Little Flower, St. Matthew, and St. Peter Primary

Schools are large schools needing computers for Internet access via a server-based LAN environment. These schools have a combined population of 762 students who would benefit from this project.

This grant proposal also included funding for teacher

training and maintenance of the computer labs on

a quarterly basis by outside consultants, with the

intent that school staff would continue to receive

training and become more fully able to perform in-

house maintenance.

On May 15, 2007, New World

Villages was presented with a check in

the amount of $25,055 at the Bellevue

Rotary Club's luncheon meeting in

Bellevue, Washington.

On June 13, 2007, a shipping container was loaded onsite

at the Seattle-based nonprofit organization, InterConnection.

InterConnection (www.interconnection.org) is a Microsoft-

approved computer recycler with the mission of providing

computers and Internet services to under-served populations

both locally and abroad.

We purchased 80 computers from InterConnection, along with monitors, cabling, keyboards and mice, and these items were loaded onto the shipping container. Other peripherals had been purchased and packed previously by NWV, and these were also loaded. Several boxes of medical supplies and 36 school desks were then placed onboard, and the container was shipped to Belize City via New York City and Jamaica. Mike Veith of Western Overseas Corporation served as Freight Forwarder. Mike is also a Rotarian.

On July 23, 2007, the container arrived in Belize City, and all items cleared Customs within two days, thanks to the excellent assistance of Ruth Montero and Frank Perera of Universal Customs Brokers in Belize City.

The container was subsequently met by eight members of

the Belize City Rotary Club, as well as NWV founders Mal

and Elaine Moran. The 80+ computers and all

accessories for the labs were unloaded at the HelpAge

home for the elderly in Belize City, where the items were

temporarily stored. The Rotary Club had arranged for this

storage space, and it proved to be extremely useful for

equipment staging, sorting and distribution. Giovanni

Heredia, Belize City Rotarian, and NWV provided

transportation of the computers and equipment to their

ultimate destinations.

The first computer lab installation took place on July 26th, at the St. Peter Anglican Primary School in Orange Walk Town. Tim Dami, a former Peace Corps volunteer and highly-skilled computer technician, directed the effort. Two local Orange Walk technicians assisted, and they were a

tremendous help with the installation as well. The local television station, CTV3, paid a visit during the installation and interviewed Elaine regarding New World Villages’ work in the country of Belize.

After successful installation of the Orange Walk Town computer lab, on July 27th, Tim, Mal, and Elaine traveled to Pomona, near Dangriga in the Stann Creek District. We arrived at St. Matthew Anglican Primary School following a two hour drive, to discover a brand new building slated to house the computer lab. The building had been constructed through volunteer and financial contributions from the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, Washington, and the Anglican Diocese of Belize.

Construction was just nearing completion upon our arrival. Funding for the desks for the lab had successfully been obtained by Ann McCoon, Principal of St. Matthews, through an appeal to the Prime Minister. Building of the desks was ongoing the day of our arrival, requiring careful coordination for installation of the computers. However, the final result was well worth the effort, and the expression of appreciation by Ms. McCoon and several students who were on hand will not soon be forgotten.

On July 29th, we picked up two additional volunteers and the remainder of the equipment in Belize City and headed for Punta Gorda in the Toledo District, 200 miles to the south. About 70 miles into the trip, we discovered a large bubble in one of the rear tires of the delivery truck. Upon further inspection, we also discovered that the second, inner tire on the same side of the vehicle was completely flat. With no services available along this stretch of Belize’s Hummingbird Highway, we had no choice but to continue driving south. Thirty miles further, we pulled into the town of Dangriga, where we were fortunate to find Brother Bo’s Tyre Repair open for business on a Sunday. Two hours later we were back on the road with 100 miles yet to go.

Most of the remainder of the trip passed without

incident. However, the final ten miles of the Southern

Highway are unpaved, with mud, rocks, and ravines

to negotiate. We were uncertain if the computers and

monitors would survive the punishment! When we

arrived at 7:00 p.m. that night, we went directly to

Julian Cho Technical Secondary School. We hoped

to unload the supplies for the computer lab, with

Julian Cho technicians and students assuming

responsibility for their installation. This would enable

us to begin installation at the Little Flower Roman

Catholic Primary School the first thing the next

morning. We were again fortunate in that we located

a night watchman, who agreed to open the computer

room, and we quickly unloaded all of the equipment

for Julian Cho.

Early the next morning, July 30th, we set out for the

final lab setup at the Little Flower RC Primary School.

We quickly unloaded the remaining computers and

equipment, and Mal departed with Mr. Heredia’s

truck for the return 200 mile trip to Belize City, while

Elaine, Tim, and NWV volunteers began the lab install-

ation. The Little Flower’s lab installation was the most

time-consuming; however, we completed the work and

finally locked the laboratory at dusk that same day.

We later received word that the installation of the

new computers at Julian Cho was also completed

without incident the day following their delivery.

NWV would like to extend a sincere thank you to the many players who helped make this large undertaking a tremendous success. Know that the impact these computer labs will have on the educational level of the school children of Belize will be apparent through their renewed interest in learning, improved test scores, greater prospects for future employment, and increased feelings of self-worth and dignity.

Special thanks go out to:

The Bellevue Rotary Club

The Belize City Rotary Club

Rotary District 5030

The Rotary Foundation

Rev. Peter Kalunian

Tim Dami

St. Peter Claver Parish

Universal Customs Brokers

Western Overseas Corp.

InterConnection

H2Tech