Thank you Cross International Catholic Outreach

Thanks to Cross International Catholic Outreach's financial assistance, Mount Carmel Primary School's School Feeding Program is up and running! We are feeding 96 kids lunch from Monday through Thursday and we are already noticing some improvement in their personal and academic lives.

We have noted that the number of latecomers (tardy after lunch or not returning to school at all) has decreased. Because these children live in extremely poor conditions, their attendance to school was very irregular and thanks to the school feeding program we have noticed an increase in class attendance. The students in the school feeding program come from very poor families and often live in very remote areas. Some students have to walk 30 minutes in order to get home for lunch which leaves them tired and with hardly any time to eat. When they do go home the food that makes up their lunch often consists of tortillas rubbed with lard and salt which hardly makes for a sustaining or energizing meal. The principal has noted that these students are less tardy to class and more enthusiastic.

In addition, most of the students in the program come from single parent families who struggle to make ends meet and often experience their child as a financial burden which often means that the child and our student is neglected and poorly fed.

There is a very high rate of unemployment in Benque Viejo and the principal has stated that the unemployment is so great that it is leading to desperation which is reflected in our children and their poor academic performance which I believe is greatly due to a lack of basic needs being fulfilled.

So thanks to Cross International's generosity we are trying our best to provide a sustaining meal that will help these children achieve success in both their academic and personal lives.

We have several other means of utilizing donations such as for extending our shed where students eat and being able to provide more financial assistance to families for books and uniforms so we invite you to be generous with our endeavors. Thank you!

Natasha Hermann, M.Ed.
School Counselor

Students in line waiting for their lunch

 

Thank you Cross International Catholic Outreach

Here are some of 96 students who participate in the School Feeding Program funded by Cross International Catholic Outreach. 

Students enjoying their lunches from the School Feeding Program

 

The shed is being extended

Thanks to a donation from Social Security in Belize, the school is able to extend the shed where students consume their lunches. It's nice to have a bit more space! 

Young girls with their "boletos" tickets for lunch

 

School Feeding Program participant with his ticket for lunch

 

The Tzalams

Here's a few members of the Tzalam family who are being helped through Cross International Catholic Outreach funding of the school feeding program and books for needy children. The young girl has very bad psorasis and is often covered with sores. Unfortunately they come from a very upsetting family situation in which the father is known to be as they say here a "Romeo" and it said that he has 2 wives.