Charity update

Okay, okay, you're right. I should have put up a picture of our new suite when I announced that it was finally ready. Andy, Lucas, Aidan and I will be moving in there for the coming days, so I'll snap a pictures of it & post it in the coming days.

So anyway, our dear friends of Intervol and FAB (Friends Across Borders) have just left. They have done some amazing work again in this last week. I can hardly believe how much these guys can achieve in such a short space of time.
They operated on children with cleft palates, on burn victims, they gave computer lessons at the new computerlab from the Scouts (set up with computers donated by Intervol), they hosted a 2-day grand-writing workshop, set up new alliances, etc. And they still had time to play football with the local kids, to drink Dr. Tim O'Connor's dangerously potent 'jungle juice', to go caving and to just have fun together. I love these guys!

I especially love the fact that these doctors, nurses and students not only give their time for free, but that they pay for all their own expenses on top of that (flights, board, food, etc.) And the fact that they don't come under any specific religious banner also appeals to me. It makes me feel that there are no hidden agendas here, they help people just because they want to, not to convert anyone in the process.

Please check out their blogs for more stories and tons of wonderful pictures of their time here:

http://intervolorg.blogspot.com/
http://intervol.blogspot.com/

And check out the Scout's page on their Intervol collaboration & the new computer lab:
http://www.scoutsbelize.org/intervol.htm

The plan is that Intervol will now help the Scouts in the setting up of computerlabs all over Belize. The computers are already ready and waiting in Rochester, New York. All we need to get organized is the shipping of these computers. If anyone out there can help with this, please contact me or Intervol.

Oh, and finally...I went to The Belize Christian Acadamy (the best private school in the country) to talk about getting the Jaden Foundation kids accepted there next year. But I'm afraid that it may be a near impossible task. The fees have gone up this year. The total price per child would be $1,750 ($ US) for the year. So to get all 17 kids in there would cost close to $30,000. That's just too crazy, even if the school could sponsor part of that money through their own charity. The Jaden Foundation is simply too small for that. Still, I'll see if I can organize something for the youngest kids at least (the ones starting school next year)

I'll let you know how it progresses.