AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Belize by District Stann Creek from Belize Times

I remembered reading that article and I thought it truely discribed the life in Belize. I don't think the people in Belize are really poor as compare to the people in India or Africa. Belizeans seem to live a comfortable lifestyle from what I noticed in Belize . I noticed that the people live happy and simply lives and they seem to managed each day. I don't think that material things would make any difference because Belize has those things. What the young Belizeans need is to be encouraged to work and accompanish the things they want and need. Giving material things will never encourage them to excel more. What they need is career/job traning and family planning to better structure the family and community. I volunteer in Belize and I noticed that this is the area that is most needed. Its a complex issue, but its not about being poor because they are not.

Weh pah you volunteer that the school kids couldn't use a few pencils, paper & LUNCH??

Local folks in Bladen down in the Toledo District are trying to build a new school, and they're looking for assistance wherever they can find it.

Here's an email I received from Marilyn Beckstead, the founder and director of The Iris Foundation for Education (http://www.theirisfoundation.com) that recently completed the children's library in Placencia.

She included pictures, but I don't know how to copy them to the forum, so I just posted some of them on my Website at http://www.destinationsbelize.com/bladen-school-project.htm (The pictures take awhile to download because I didn't reduce them in size very much, so please be patient.)
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From: Marilyn Beckstead, The Iris Foundation [mailto:nskry@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, 27 April 2004 11:14
Subject: Bladen

I paid a visit to Bladen last Tuesday and gave them a cheque for $4000 BZ. I'm not sure if we have enough to give them any additional funds at anytime soon, but if not, hopefully we will raise more $$$.

The villagers held a work bee on the weekend and roofed the three buildings.

They have made a deal with 3 local saw mills for donations of lumber for the walls in return for a recommendation to the government for logging concessions.

The government provided free trucking for roofing materials. So things are progressing. My Italian friend Erwin Lizzari has approached an Italian organization for a donation so maybe something will come of that.

As you can see from the photos, this is a very poor village. They are working very hard on this project and are deserving of our support.
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The Iris Foundation for Education is a Canadian foundations, so Canadian donors can get some tax benefits from donating.

As mentioned above, the Website for The Iris Foundation for Education is http://www.theirisfoundation.com, and Marilyn can be reach at either nskry@yahoo.com or info@theirisfoundation.com.

FYI, in addition to the children's library in Placencia, The Iris Foundation has assisted schools in Seine Bight and Monkey River, donated to the school lunch program in Gracie Rock, distributed shoes and books to schools throughout southern Belize, donated desks, paper and other school supplies to many southern Belize schools, plus a lot of other projects I can't even remember.

Mary
Destinations Belize