Volunteer work in Jalacte, Belize

I have an amazing opportunity to volunteer my time and my energy to children in a remote village just outside of Belize this summer.  I would be serving an underprivileged population of children, helping to lead the camp, facilitate connections, support teachers within the community, and engage the children in writing, art, and math activities.

I really want to go do this. It’s been a dream of mine for a long time take the passion I have for children and education out on the road and serve more families and communities.

I have the heart, the spirit, the time, and the energy to do this work. What I don’t have are the necessary funds to get me to Belize. This is why I am here. The money that I raise through this GoFundMe campaign will be used to cover the cost of my getting to Belize, modest accommodations while I am there (I will be living like a local and staying with locals as much as possible), traveling between villages, and food. Any money that I raise beyond what is needed for these logistics will be donated back into the local community, in ways that are deemed most necessary and useful at the time.

 I will be writing and updating throughout the school year so you can see the work that we are preparing to do in Belize this summer. Every dollar donated will bring me one step closer to reaching my goal of teaching in Belize and I am truly grateful for any support you can provide. 

 I will close with a quote from William Butler Yeats, who wrote, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” It is my deep hope that you will help me go light some fires this summer.

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More about who this camp will serve: The camp will be in the village of Jalacte, which is about an hour and a half out of Punta Gorda in the Toledo district of southern Belize. This is the poorest district of Belize and is populated mainly with indigenous Mayan. Jalacte is also near the border with Guatemala and one of the most remote villages. The children in this area are isolated from opportunities their counterparts living in Punta Gorda and other regions in Belize receive. They are behind in their school levels and many leave school to work on the family farm at an early age. The children of Jalacte will benefit from the additional help with school lessons, building self-confidence through arts and crafts and singing, and being actively engaged and inspired during their summer break.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue planning this summer's camp in Belize.