Only 1 more day in Chicago before I board a plane for Belize! My bag is mostly packed and all the little errands are complete. Now for the story of Holy Cross Anglican School.....
When the Korak Family first visited Ambergris Caye in January of 2005, Holy Cross didn't exist. The land that the school now sits on barely existed. It was under water a quarter of the year. The Wilsons were in Belize, but working on the mainland and visiting the island on the weekends. That's how we stumbled into their backyard one weekend.
Education is Belize is broken down into 3 levels: Primary (K-7), Secondary (high school) and Tertiary (college prep, technical or vocational). Primary education is compulsory and free. Like most free things, there is always fine print. The government only provides for the teacher's salaries, but not for uniforms, administrators or other overhead expenditures. Primary education is also space-limited. According the the Holy Cross website, there were about 120 students in San Pedro that were unable to enroll in the 2005-2006 school year. The Wilsons saw this need and decided to open Holy Cross Anglican School in September of 2006 with 154 students. Today, 527 students are enrolled.
Holy Cross sets itself apart from other schools in the country by providing more than just education. The school has a feeding program. Each student receives breakfast, lunch and a high protein snack every day, at a cost of $1 per student per day. Every student receives a daily multi-vitamin. The school has a dental clinic staffed by volunteers. Finally, the school has the only special education class on the island, only one of 7 in the entire country! These services only scratch the surface of the positive impact Holy Cross on the community-at-large. Holy Cross is located in one of the most impoverished areas of the island and provides a place to bring community members together.
Tomorrow, I'll be back in San Pedro at a school that has touched the hearts of so many, both in Belize and the US.
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