News for June 2013

News From Belize

Silver Creek formerly opened their new computer center this May. During Mission 3, March 2011, Village Chairman Andres Coh told us of his plans to build onto the library a separate addition that was to be their computer center. During Mission three we donated several computers to the community that were placed in the library. The computer center was soon established in their Primary School waiting the construction of the library addition. Congratulations Silver Creek on meeting your goals. Below is a poem written by the Standard I students at the Primary School on proper use of the Computer Lab

C ome to class with clean hands;
O perate equipment carefully;
M anage your time wisely;
P ractice typing at home;
U se inside voices;
T ouch the keyboard lightly;
E at and drink outside the lab;
R emember to ask before printing.

L earn something new each class;
A lways do your best;
B e helpful to your classmates.

Ribbon cutting ceremony at the Computer Lab… Pictured from left to right is
Principal, Geraldo Baltazar; Committee Secretary, Marvin Coc; Alcalde, Juan Choc and Village Chairman, Andres Coh; Not pictured but instrumental in setting up the lab is Peace Corps Volunteer Meredith Casper of Akron, Ohio.

Donations of Equipment and Supplies

*3 boxes of books were donated by the Rotary Club of Willard during the book drive at District Conference.  Many other Rotarians made donations (8 boxes in all) and we at RCI greatly appreciate your generosity.

Monetary Donations

** To defray expenses of IT Mission Personnel

Purchases

Presentations

District Conference
Rotary Club of Loudonville

Meet the Jamaica Mission Team

The Mission Computer Engineers

Dan McCormick is an old RCI pro and is now going on his fourth Mission, the first three to Belize. Dan graduated Summa Cum Laude this May from Owens Community College with a 4.0 GPA. Additionally Dan was the recipient of the Outstanding Student Award, not only for his academic success, but also for his selfless service to the local and world community. He earned an Associate Degree in System Security and Information Assurance. Dan, a father of three, is taking his son eldest son Andre with him to Jamaica. Andre asked to go and Dan felt this would be a great experience for him.

Elvis Shuneh immigrated to the United States from the Cameroon four years ago with his brother and sister, joining their mother already living in the U.S. Coming here already competent in pc hardware operation, he enrolled in Owens Community College to further his computer skills in Networking and System Security. He has had computer I.T. positions in the Toledo area working for Owens Community College, the Toledo Fair Housing Center and numerous banks carrying out PC/Server Deployment.

The Mission Preschool Educator

Suzanne M. Saunders from Bowling Green, Ohio has always had a passion for learning and sharing knowledge and wanted, from early childhood to be a teacher. While in high school she attended a program known as the Teaching Professions Program where she received the Outstanding Student Award. While in High School she received the Prudential Spirit Award for her dedication to volunteer work. After graduation, Suzanne went to Lourdes University for her undergraduate in Middle Education, Union University online for her first Master’s in Education and returned to Lourdes University for her second Master’s in Teaching and Curriculum.

In early 2003, Suzanne worked with her aunt and a close friend to develop the 501 (c) 3 organization known as The Harambee Project where they sponsored children affected by the AIDS epidemic in Nairobi, Kenya. The sponsorships allowed children to attend school. In 2009, Suzanne worked with a local agency known for serving individuals with Developmental Disabilities, to develop a grant funded training center that served local Toledo teens and young adults with services including job coaching, job placement, financial aid assistance, school entrance assistance, GED tutoring, etc.

Suzanne’s job experience expands from staff training manager to tool & die maker. She likes to consider herself a “Swiss Army Knife.” Suzanne’s biggest goal is make a difference, one person at a time.

Loading the Container: Destination Jamaica

Almost everything is palletized making loading more efficient, compact and with limited or no damage at unloading.

A standard sized container is 40’ long by 8’ wide by 94” high and we use every square inch as shipping is our biggest expense. Loose items are stacked on top!

Morisey (Owens Community College student volunteer) is stacking a chair as we continue to load until there is no more available room.

The Loading team from left to right: Owens CC volunteers Morisey and Pascal Hessou (first and third from left): Rotary Club of Sylvania volunteers Mike Tansey, Baron Black, Bill Miller, and Rotary Club of Baltimore volunteer Gary Davis and his friend Tim. Not pictured… Mel Honig (Rotary Club of Sylvania and photographer). This was first time loading for Morisey, but everyone else has helped on more than one occasion.

Look for our next Newsletter which will highlight our first Mission to Westmoreland Province, Jamaica.  We will be working ‘hand in hand’ with the Rotary Club of Savanna-La-Mar, and their project coordinator Hilda Hibbert.