Trekforce gets thumbs up from Corozal & Orange Walk
The
organization might not be as well known as Raleigh, but the Venturers
of Trekforce talk the same way and work just as hard. For the past two
months, over sixty of these English students have been living the Belizean
life, teaching our students and speaking their own version of Spanish.
On Monday, News Five had the privilege of visiting the Trekforce accomplishments
in Orange Walk and Corozal.
The Trekforce volunteers say their trip to Belize has been both rewarding and challenging. The young men and women, who are mostly university students in the United Kingdom have spent the past five months working on a number of conservation projects that have taken them deep in the jungles. The volunteers took a one-month Spanish language course in Guatemala prepping them for placement in primary schools in the northern districts.
Dominic Hall, Trekforce School Coordinator
“It’s been some really amazing work, when they arrived in the villages two months ago, they were quite scared about the whole thing in not knowing what to expect and not knowing what they are going to be doing. The first week or so, they were completely fazed, they didn’t know anybody, they didn’t know what they were going to be doing. Then all of a sudden as the weeks go on, we started seeing playgrounds springing up and schools being painted and just lots and lots of teaching. You go in and everybody is confident in front of the class and are helping out the teachers. They were all very grateful and very appreciative of everything we are doing.”
News Five’s Trekforce tour took us into the Orange Walk District where we met with some of the volunteers assigned to the San Felipe R.C Primary School. The volunteers stay with host families and by all accounts have been an invaluable help to the staff and students.
Lily Celiz, Vice Principal, San Felipe R.C Primary School
“Well they have been helping quite a lot here. They were here last year. They upgraded the library that was in the community centre. They have also helped in all the other classes. I was in an infant class and they were there helping the slow group, helping them and getting them to read. They were doing so at the other classes too, and it was a great help for us.”
One the main projects was the refurbishing of the community and school’s library.
Magda Halsall, Volunteer, San Felipe R.C Primary School
“Well basically we have been helping out the children with their reading, in the classrooms helping the teachers. The main thing that we have been doing though, is work on the school and community library. We have refurbished it, painted it and recently organized all the books, so that it will be open from this week.”
Ramiro Peralta, Assistant Librarian, San Felipe R.C School
“Well first of all I really appreciate all the hard work that they have done and particularly in this library because what you may have noticed is that we are relocating the library and we are putting the library back to its proper place. Most of all, I think that we have done a good job here in bringing out the library to this building here and I think that the children will benefit more than where it was before. I will give thanks to Trekforce, to the volunteers who worked hard for accomplishing this project.”
Jacqueline Woods
“What was it like before?”
Ramiro Peralta
“The volunteers helped out last year, to refurbish the room, but what happened was that it was in the community centre and was abandoned from using from the school. So we had to move the library there, but I think that it is not a good environment for the children of the community to go there, so it is better here in this position right now.”
While the school’s staff and students are the ones getting the physical benefits, the volunteers say get a different kind of reward.
Magda Halsall
“Oh it has been amazing. I am 24-years old and I can’t believe that so many experiences have been packed into just five short months. It’s been really, really good and will stay with me forever.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Has it been difficult at times?”
Magda Halsall
“Oh yeah! It’s been a challenge, but they’ve been good ones and it’s really character building. It makes you realize what you are a capable of.”
Sam Medrangton, Volunteer
“Oh it’s been really nice. The people here have been really friendly and they made us feel right at home. The school as well, all the teachers have been really kind to us.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Why did you decide to be a part of this expedition?”
Sam Medrangton
“Well I just wanted to do something different and go to a different country far away from home and basically to have a change for six months.”
Jacqueline Woods
“How long did it take you to adapt to the climate we have here?”
Sam Medrangton
“It was actually very quick. I got sunburned quite a bit at first, but then I adapted very quick, I like hot weather.”
Jacqueline Woods
“The volunteer teachers have not only been busy giving lessons to the students of San Antonio Primary R.C School but they have also been very busy constructing a playground for the children.”
Jorge Magana, Principal
“We do know that it’s a small community in which you cannot expect as much as in other bigger schools and communities, but I think that the best thing is the beginning that we have. So our children are pretty much happy about it. They were pretty much involved too, in helping finishing the landscaping that we were doing.”
Megan Hunter, Volunteer
“We’ve improved the playground, we put in tyres for the children to jump across, they are currently not playing with it now, we’ve also recently put in the swings. They were only finished yesterday in fact and there is still one more set to complete there, and we’ve done a lot of art work with the children.”
Jose Cherriz, 11 years old
“First I roll some piece of paper in a ball and I put some layers of newspapers here and then with water and flour.”
Jacqueline Woods
“It this the first time that you boys and girls made a mask?”
All
“Yes miss.”
Jacqueline Woods
“What are you going to do with the mask now? Wear them?”
Jose Cherriz
“Yes Miss.”
Jacqueline Woods
“When are you going to use it?”
Jose Cherriz
“Halloween.”
Although Elizabeth Leather admits the teaching experiencing has been challenging and a career she does not want, she has learnt a lot.
Elizabeth Leather, Volunteer
“It’s been interesting, exciting and character forming, it really has been. It is such a different culture from England, a different way of doing things and also something I have never done before. I have never taught before and it is something I enjoyed, however, I’m not sure if I could go back to doing it.”
Jacqueline Woods
“How difficult was it?”
Elizabeth Leather
“It was very difficult. I’ve never really realize how hard teachers work. I’ve always been on the other end of the system, always receiving, being taught. I’ve gone all the way through the system, but on the other end it’s hard, I appreciate it much more now.”
Both volunteers were instrumental in acquiring a computer for the school, but as we found out, they had to get electricity to the building first.
Ismael Peraza, Teacher
“Presently we have somebody hooking up the fuse box and wiring has been done and hopefully by next week or probably as soon as this week, we might get hooked up.”
“Actually I think I have benefited in the various forms, and in my classroom where I had one of them, Miss Liz, she assisted them with remedial reading, also she has been helping with arts and crafts and doing lots of painting. Overall, I think the contribution they have been done has been great.”
Our next stop took us to Corozal where the children did not only entertain us, but showed us how they how much they enjoy their first playground ever.
Ruth Lux, Volunteer
“We saw that the school had no playground and kids were playing on the Northern Highway trying to dodge cars, so we set about making the playground that is behind us now. And it’s been a long thrill, but with the help of the father with the family I was staying, and some of the dads at the school, we have pretty much completed the playground and I have been teaching ballet classes and doing an English club with the kids.”
Esther Mendez, Principal, Concepcion Primary School
“Well we have had a very hard working group here and through them, we got to have our playground. And we were amazed and surprised at how they worked hard in getting the funds to do everything that you have seen and I must say that our school, it has benefited a lot.”
As the volunteers get ready to leave Belize at the end of June, they say the expedition has been tough, but fun. As one volunteer remarked she is not quite ready to go home.
Jemma Darley, Volunteer
“I honestly don’t want to go home. I’ve had such a good time out here, and the family that I have been living with over the road has been so wonderful to us. I really feel like part of the community that I just don’t want to go home, I can stay here forever.”
