Maud Williams High School gets free computers

The Maud Williams High School, formerly Saint Michael’s College, has been gifted with a set of computers by a US based organization called Serving Saints International. Both the students and the school management say the donation is much needed and timely. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.

Marion Ali, Reporting

Today, one south side high school is boasting a gift of some much-needed computers.  The gift came about through efforts first started by the Belize City Council in 2007 to uplift the less fortunate institutions of the old capital.  It is the start of an initiative that Founder of Serving Saints International, Jackie Collins, says is not confined to one institution.

jackie collins

Jackie Collins, Founder, Serving Saints International

“We’re going to extend out not only to Maud Williams High School, but we are going to extend to all the children of Belize because we can’t just do it for one school. We have an overage of items and we are going to share that with other children.”

Marion Ali

“How do you raise the funds for these kinds of projects?”

Jackie Collins

“Donations. We actually got a mail with Newark Village. He saw us online. He contacted me and propositioned me and said, if you donate ten computers, we’ll donate ten computers. And my motto is ‘everybody can’t do anything, but everybody can do something.’ So we’re asking anybody because if we’re coming to Belize to make a donation, we expect some of the Belizeans to help us as well. It’s all about the children.”

Zenaida Moya-Flowers, Mayor, Belize City

zenaida moya-flowers

“Here we are, immediately Jackie said yes, they’re gonna do it and their gonna adopt Maud Williams High School of which we recommended that they adopt and now we are here, twenty computers being given. And I believe that they will be assisting with I believe two hundred school bags as well and other items that they’ll be giving.”

For the students and faculty of Maud Williams High, the gift was a timely one.

cruzita castillo

Cruzita Castillo, Principal, Maud Williams High

“Before this huge donation that Serving Saints gave us, we had ten computers in our lab which was used for our IT program here. So now with the donation it enhances our program. I believe it will create the efficiency with which our IT teachers would truly appreciate. So I believe that right now our teachers are jumping with joy because it is an addition of twenty laptops along with the ten—giving us thirty.”

Shanieka Butler, Student, Maud Williams High

shanieka butler

“Fi we school mi really need this long time because usually when we do IT, we mi need fi wait until the next students done fi mek we could do our next projects and so. I feel good like how they get more now.”

vanessa salam

Vanessa Salam, Student, Maud Williams High

“It’s very important for us especially we as the fourth form students for C.X.C. Mostly we had to share computers together. So it’s like very good about being individual workers and access more to our computer.”

Meanwhile, already in the pipeline is another project for the institution, a feeding programme for the less-privileged.

Roger Espejo, City Councilor

roger espejo

“The next project that we want to work on with Serving Saints International is a feeding programme. The discussion began last year when we were still planning on the procurement and delivery of these laptops. That particular project was in the making and yet we had already began to speak about a feeding programme for kids—kids belonging to the inner urban parts of Belize City.  I can tell you that the fundamental principle of the progammme will be reach those who are in most need.”

While talks for the feeding programme begins Thursday between the Council and the US-based organization, a cultural exchange programme will also be established between children from Belize and the United States.  Marion Ali for News Five.