You Can Make a Difference

“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.” Nelson Mandela

Hi! Pigeon Cay is my home for the next few months, I am volunteering at the local school teaching English. Pigeon Cay is a small fishing village with a population of 500. The people who live on Pigeon Cay have simple but tough lives, they are hard working people who have relied, almost exclusively, on fishing to sustain themselves. With dwindling fish populations and very limited alternate sources of employment they have been struggling to find ways to make a living, feed their families and educate their children.

I’m hoping you will lend a much-needed hand to make a long-lasting difference in the lives of the hard working families of Pigeon Cay. The goal is to drive long-term change by first taking care of some basic needs, and then focusing on creating more and better opportunities especially for the younger generation, through a combination of education/training and incentives/rewards. 100% of the funds received will be used to support one or more of the following focus areas.
Education:There are approximately 100 children from kindergarten through 12th grade at the school. Because the school is not big enough to accommodate all the students, they go to school in 3 shifts during the day starting at 7:30 in the morning and finishing at 9:30 at night. This also allows the older children to work and fish in the mornings.
English language training: Providing a full time English teacher teaching both English language courses and other subjects in English. English classes are limited to just 2 hours per week for each grade. The ability to speak English opens up many more job opportunities in the tourism industry.
Health Care: There is a small medical clinic on the island for basic medical needs, but it is staffed only one day a week by a doctor or nurse that comes from the mainland or Utila Town. Emergency assistance: Helping to cover the cost for serious injuries or surgeries that are beyond the means of the locals. 
Improved local health care: Additional staffing (covering more days) for the local medical clinic and services with more emphasize and focus on pro-active preventative health care (vaccinations etc.).
Environmental Protection
Cleanup and Recycling: Incentives and rewards system for cleaning up and recycling plastics that are used on the island and that wash up on its shore from the mainland. Incentives and rewards for reducing the use of one-time plastics. Coupled to an educational program on the negative impact of litter and plastics on the environment and human health.
Alternate jobs: Helping create more non-fishing job opportunities to create alternate income opportunities to reduce over-fishing and other pressure on the reef.
Some of these efforts are already underway, while others are only in the initial planning phases.

Every little bit helps; no donation is too small! Please donate today and make a difference.