2 + 2 = ...anyone?? anyone??Bueller??

Today was an incredible day...and boy did we learn a ton.  We learned that we had no idea just how bad the educational system in Honduras was.  By 2nd grade, 90% of the kids are failing...even some of the teachers do not know how to read or write.  But we also learned that there are amazing people who spend years of their lives down here trying to make a difference....for no pay at all.  That is dedication and pure love.

We decided to venture out today to go in search of a way we could serve.  That was one of the key goals we had coming down here.   Stephanie wanted to stop by a library that she had seen while passing by a few days before to check it out.  So we came upon a sign that read "Sand Castle Library and Education Center for Children" and walked down this road toward the beach.  We walked up to this old house that had a wall facade built along the front to look like a castle.  The door was locked and the place looked like it hadn't been opened for awhile.  We were walking away to leave when we saw a caretaker who said we could go around the back and be attended to.  We went up the stairs and found Ms. Cam (her first name) and a few of her teachers just wrapping up a meeting.  We introduced ourselves and just started asking questions about what they did here, etc.  It turns out she has a 44 acre property which includes prime beach front right in front of one of the most famous dive spots in Roatan.  She ran a resort and dive shop from it for about 15 years.  She closed up shop about 8 years ago and dedicated herself full time to educating the children of Roatan, because she became so saddened and discouraged that none of her resort helpers could read or write.  (Imagine trying to get the nightly bar receipts from your bartender who doesn't know any math...?)

So instead she "dove" into education and has spent the last 8 years going back to the very beginning of teaching children the absolute basics, which she discovered most of them don't even know.  (Even kids in "private bi-lingual" schools may know how to read and write in English, but don't know what they're reading or writing...there's no comprehension).

During that time, she has collected over 20,000 books and lends them out to the kids and adults, like a library.  She has a "Book Mobile" that travels all over the island taking books and learning materials to children and schools, because the people can't afford to get back and forth to her.


We told her that we were looking for opportunities to serve, and before we knew it, she had a list of a bunch of things we could do to help; creating learning materials, helping to tutor kids in Math and English, being in charge of the library in the afternoons, reading to the children, going out in the Book Mobile...and for me a massive construction project...turning her old dive shop into a new library and consolidating all the desks and materials from 2 or 3 buildings into 1.  This would entail building shelves, workstations, learning pods, tearing down a wall or two, and working on some floorboards in the dive shop.  Needless to say we stumbled into the mother load of service projects and opportunities!!  We could spend our entire time working here, and really make a difference in the lives of children at the very core of their need...education.  I walked away with such an admiration for this woman and all of the painstaking hard work she is doing...expecting nothing in return.  She brings in enough in grants and donation $$ to hire two local teachers, and pays herself nothing.

As she gave us a tour of her property, my heart ached as I could see how she had let her beautiful property go into a state of disrepair...in order to focus her efforts on helping the kids.  A dive shop now filled to the brim with books, a restaurant that had been disassembled for the lumber to build other things, and a beach house on the sand that had been being used as classrooms.

In my mind's eye I could see what this place had once been.  I later found out after talking to other people that it had once been one of the premier resorts on the island.  No more.  Her whole focus was now on getting more kids to come to her center after school, and integrating into the existing schools to help the education process improve.  

Unbelievable.  Talk about building a legacy you could be proud of.

I think we will plant our flag with Ms. Cam and see what good we can do for the children of Roatan.  They are so happy and full of energy and laughter, and I think the kids will get a huge sense of fulfillment from teaching them and becoming their friends.  Look for more to come!!