Trip Report - October 2009 by Rev. Pat Malone

In the month of October, I joined other members of the Board of Director’s and special guests on a trip throughout various regions of the country of Belize, in order to further the mission of Living Tree Academy.  The following is a brief review of key activities and accomplishments that resulted from that trip.

Activities

We traveled to the cities and villages of Dangriga, Placencia, Belmopan, San Ignacio, San Pedro, and San Mateo and their surrounding regions.   The exploration of these locales enabled us to assess the educational needs of these various regions with a view toward determining the future location for LTA’s operations and facilities.

During our travels we had the opportunity to tour numerous elementary schools including Holy Cross, New Horizons, Island Academy, and an additional private school in the region of Ambergris Caye, as well as a preschool in Placencia.

While in Placencia, we met with Mr. Walter Garbut, the principal of the school in Independence that Living Tree Academy has been working with for a number of years.  This dedicated educator, who has served as a teacher and administrator for over 30 years in various schools in Belize, provided invaluable insight into the challenges and needs facing the faculty, students and families of Belize.  Mr. Garbut expressed his appreciation for the assistance LTA has provided to the school and children of Monkey River Village over the years through our various programs.  He also discussed in detail his assessment of present and future needs for our scholarship and sponsorship programs.

While in Belize we met with Mr. Marshall and Miss Grace, officials from the Ministry of Education in Dangriga; and Miss Candy Armstrong, head of the Ministry of Education on Ambergris Caye. Discussions centered on their assessments of the needs for additional schools in their respective regions and our plans to establish a school.

Accomplishments

Through the interaction with officials, educators, students, and ordinary citizens of Belize we become more aware of the unique challenges, needs and requirements involved in providing educational opportunities to the children of Belize, and better equipped to meet those criteria.

Examining various schools allowed us to learn from the experience of the teachers and administrators of those institutions.  This in turn will help us to better determine what possible assistance we may be able to offer them in the future.

Moreover, our evaluation of the facilities, resources, and curriculums utilized by the schools empowers us to most effectively design and develop the school that we intend to build.

Our exploration and review of the various regions included in this trip, as well as past visits to the country, has provided us with sufficient information to make a tentative determination of the location for LTA’s facilities.  Contingent upon approval of a majority of the Board of Directors, that location will be somewhere on Ambergris Caye.

Additionally, our travels enabled us to reconnect and maintain important contacts in many different fields throughout the country that have provided valuable assistance to our efforts in Belize.

In Christ’s love and service,
Rev. Pat Malone