News for Q4 2019

Mission 13, Corozal District, Belize

The Rotary Team of Mel Honig, Will Mosby and the Rotary Club of Corozal opened 21 resource centers in 21 different schools this December. The Rotary Club of Belmopan was also visited in an effort to have them involved in the coming spring’s project when we will open 20 new resource centers in Stann Creek and Cayo Districts of Belize.

The mission in pictures:

Along with the games and toys we brought boxes and boxes of books; from beginning readers to resource books to more advanced readers. Each school received at least 4 large boxes of books and depending upon student population as many as 7 boxes. There were some boxes of books left over that were given to the Rotaractor Club of Corozal for their project of building self directed libraries (take a book to read and leave a book)... and also several boxes that were given to the local library.

LIST OF SCHOOLS RECEIVING RESOURCE CENTERS DURING MISSION 13, COROZAL DISTRICT

  • Presbyterian Day School/ Preschool
  • Caledonia R.C School /Preschool
  • San Narciso R.C School /Preschool
  • Libertad R.C School
  • San Juaquin R.C. School/ Preschool
  • San Antonio Government School/ Preschool
  • Church of Christ School/ Preschool
  • Our Lady of Guadalupe R. C. School/ Preschool
  • Cristo Rey R. C School /Preschool
  • St. Francis Xavier R.C./Preschool
  • Corozal Methodist School /Preschool
  • Fireburn R.C. School
  • Mary Hill R.C School /Preschool
  • San Victor R.C. School/ Preschool
  • Libertad S.D.A School
  • Calcutta S.D.A School
  • Chunox S.D.A School/ Preschool
  • Patchakan R.C School/ Preschool
  • Sarteneja La Inmaculada R.C. School
  • Santa Clara/San Roman R.C./preschool
  • Progresso SDA School

Vetting a Hospital for a MESA Mission

RCI is an ongoing educational project of MESA. MESA’s stated mission is:

To facilitate international service projects bringing equipment, technology and volunteerism to meet humanitarian needs throughout the world

Most of our efforts go into sending containers of medical equipment and supplies to places of need. During RCI’s recent mission the Rotary Club of Corozal brought to our attention specific items that require updating or are lacking at the Corozal Community Hospital.

The 30 bed hospital services the medical needs of 40,000 people. All services are free and no one is turned away or asked for payment. The hospital system consists of a central Hospital and 4 major polyclinics.

The recently constructed polyclinic in Sarteneja is scheduled to open February 2020. Its timely opening is dependent upon getting the necessary operating equipment and signing up the required number of local citizens to the National Health Insurance (NHI) plan. The NHI provides the necessary funding for the hospital to operate by giving the hospital monies for each individual in the program. It is also important to look up the symptoms of blood dyscrasia and be aware.

A hospital walk-through was conducted with Rotarians and hospital personnel, followed by meetings with the Medical Chief of Staff, Dr. Angela Gilharry and the Minister of Health, the Honorable Pablo Marin.

Following are some of the photos taken during the hospital walk-through:

The next step is to receive a formal request and list of needs. MESA will then fulfill the needs list to the best of its ability and send one or more containers to the Rotary Club of Corozal, who in turn will transfer the product to the Corozal Community Hospital. Before any of this happens the MESA Board has to approve the project and Memorandums of Understanding must be signed by the Rotary Club of Corozal and the Corozal Community Hospital.

Funding for the medical mission is not automatic. MESA will provide a $2000 shipping stipend: but we need one or more of our District 6600 Rotary Clubs to step up with the balance of the $6400 shipping costs. If your Rotary Club is interested in sponsoring this mission please contact MESA Committee Chairman: Bob DiNardo, email: rdinardo@utoledo.edu