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Friends United Meeting |
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June 1997
Focus on Ministry:
A Future for Friends in Belize?
By Florence Peery
Thirty-two years ago Sadie Vernon had a dream of starting a Girls Continuation School in Belize like the one in Jamaica where she had taught. She saw the need here because the children were turned out onto the street at 14 when they finished 8th grade, if (under the British educational system) they could not pass the entrance exam for high school.
Sadie felt these youth needed vocational training such as clerical, bookkeeping, and later, computer skills to enter the job market. Through her efforts and those of other Christian Council members, such a school was born. Now 250 girls strong, it is an established institution meeting a real need, despite difficult conditions. The building is an old factory building carved into temporary classrooms by green board dividers which do not muffle sound, but rather seem to magnify it. How they learn at all is amazing.
They have been here two years since they outgrew the facilities they were using. There are not adequate textbooks, teaching materials, maps, library books, or encyclopedias. The dedicated staff carries on with a Christian concern for the needs of these girls despite the obstacles.
Two years ago the government promised them a new building. A new political party came into power last year, and they are not interested in honoring that commitment. The owner of the building plans to tear it down, so the school must find new quarters. They do not know where to go. Although the school charges fees, it is not completely self-supporting. The government pays 70% of the teachers' salaries. They must pay the rest.
The building is rented to them for $1500 a month. A church in the States paid that the first year and promised to pay it this year. However, the school has learned that the church has not paid anything since last June. They did not notify the school of this, nor did the owner of the building complain to the school about it until February. Right away, the school contacted the church. They restated their promise to cover the $1500 rent payment as soon as their fund raising drive is over.
To date the church has paid nothing on their pledge despite calls to them about it. The Board hopes to persuade the owner to let the school stay another year if they can come up with the back rent and keep current with this year's rent.
In addition to this problem, the school also owes about $20,000, due to some errors in management. All of this fell on them during the first week of March. The Principal and teachers are trying to come up with a major fund raising effort. We hope the church will honor their commitment soon, and funds can be raised for the other debts. They are being allowed to finish the year since they have made some payment on the rent bill from funds the school has received.
A question still remains, where do they go next year? The government has given them land, but it must be filled in, as Belize City is built on a swamp. There is hope that the U.S. Army will build a school for them next year. This would mean they could possibly occupy it by the fall of l998. However, there is no assurance of this. Needless to say, there is much concern for the future of the school.
The Boys School
It is estimated that 5,000 youth are turned out into the streets here each year with no hope of further training. Belize is very slow in addressing this problem. Until last year, the boys had no comparable school to the Girls School where they could improve their academic skills in order to prepare to take the high school entrance exam again.
Some came to Sadie and asked for such a school. She could not refuse them, so she started a Prep School to help these boys last year. The cost is $25/month Belizean. When the group finished last year, about half of them passed the exam and entered high school.
For those who did not pass, there was nothing to do, so they asked for a Continuation School. This year there are now two classes in Sadie's little school. There are about 35 students (about what the Girls School started out with years ago).he operates on a shoestring-on faith, really. She cannot pay full-time salaries, so both classes operate about half a day.
That is how I came to be teaching one class. It is difficult to get part-time teachers, so she finds herself frequently without a teacher. There is a strong need to get this Boys Continuation School set up on as firm a foundation as is the Girls School.
Future Needs
It is necessary to have scholarship help for some of the girls, for the economy here is not in good condition. Theschool would welcome persons in the States who would pay a scholarship for a student.
The costs are as follows: First Form-$200/yr., Second Form-$275/yr., Third and Fourth Form-$365, Belizean.
A board needs to be set up for the school and the building needs to be remodeled so it can house both classes. One class currently meets in the Council building where the girls cook in the afternoons. Funds need to be found so that full-time teachers may be employed.
The Boys School, under good leadership, can look forward the same recognition by the government and the public that the Girls School has had. It will take a few years before the government will help with salaries for the Boys School, but it is a goal toward which to work. Perhaps these two schools will serve to help change the public attitude about the current inadequate educational system.
Sadie's vision and dedication helped build the Girls School and start the Boys School. However, she is no longer young. At 79 years of age, she cannot continue to be the guiding force behind the Boys School as she was for the Girls School. The mantle must be passed on somehow. I trust we will not let her down.
There is no Friends worship group meeting in Belize City or elsewhere at the present time. Sunday School is being held on Sunday afternoons at Democracia for about 25-30 children. The women do not seem to want a worship service or a Sunday School class. The Meetinghouse is not in use.
Sunday School meets in the Community building at the request of the mothers, because they say the road is too dangerous for the children to be walking on or playing near. The church is a little further up the road than the Community Building. The United States Army has built a school for the village behind the Community Building (currently used for the school). It is rumored that the government, or someone, is going to get water for the village. This is badly needed. We hope water will be brought soon. Feeding, bathing, clothes washing for a large family when the water tank is empty several days a week is extremely frustrating and dehumanizing. The river is two miles away and three of the four wells don't produce water that is usable for anything but bathing because of the minerals in them. We hope this problem will soon be solved.
It is my opinion that if there is to be a Friends Church at Democracia, a couple must be found who is willing to go live there and slowly build relationships and work with the village leadership. We have had too many false starts, and the people are wary now. It will not be an easy task, and should not be undertaken unless there is a long- term commitment to the task.
Florence Peery from Sugar Plain Friends, Western Yearly Meeting, is serving as a short term volunteer teacher in Belize.
Copyright (c) 1997 Friends United Meeting
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