Rotary donates to school feeding programme

Everyday many children all over the country spend an entire day at school on an empty stomach. But thanks to a donation from the Sunrise Rotary Club of Belize that reality has changed for twenty students of St. John Vianney primary school. During a brief handing over ceremony this morning, Rotary donated over five thousand dollars to the institution’s feeding programme.

Felix Sutherland, Principal, St. John Vianney
“I was pleasantly surprised in August when I was called by Mr. Usher offering a hand of help, a hand of friendship. Usually it doesn’t happen that way, the schools normally make the request and I was pleasantly surprised and I wish that other people would join the effort to ensure that at least our students will have at least one meal per day.”

Hugo Moguel, Member, Sunrise Rotary Group
“About two years ago Hand in Hand Ministries started this programme with St. John Vianney. They saw a need for children that are attending school that are unfortunately were not getting daily meals. So they set up this programme and over the past two years they have been feeding at least forty children per day, giving them a warm meal for lunch. We heard about this and we sought to see how we could help out. So we have already started to see how can expand the programme. We did some fundraising, Sunrise Rotary Club of Belize City and right now we have expanded the programme to feed twenty more children.”

Felix Sutherland
“Majority of our children are from very poor families, single parent families, in most cases mothers. And while you and I would take a meal as something natural, for them a meal can be very challenging at times.”

Janelle Chanona
“If these kids aren’t getting a meal through this programme, what are they eating?”

Felix Sutherland
“If you look to the front at our gate some would just get one taco for lunch. Some will have a chips, which we know does not always provide the nutrition our students need.”