Back to Armenia

On our last big mission trip to Belize, the youth of our congregation spent a lot of time and sweaty effort painting the Armenia primary school, a task we accomplished side by side with a couple of Farragut Presbyterian youth and several Belizean scholarship students. It's very evident that the school has grown since then. New buildings have sprouted up here and there. The school architectural motif seems to be more wildflower patch than landscaped garden. Adding to the controlled chaos were student desks (with students in them) spilling from many of the classrooms. It was a hot day, and education was proceeding noisily on the porches and breezeways.
Carlos Uck, principal of the Armenia school, is an articulate and personable individual with an obvious passion for educating the children of his growing school. Armenia teaches some very poor Belizean kids. About 80% are Mestizo and 20% are Mayan. Many can't afford basic school supplies. Carlos has a definite vision of how he would improve his school, given the resources. He'd create a library, and has a preference for Illustrated Classics (in English) for his students. He showed us an abridged elementary-level copy of Huckleberry Finn, and said he'd love a classroom set. He'd love ten computers, because then and only then would the phone company consider bringing in a DSL line for internet. He'd love math manipulatives and other hands-on learning tools for a planned preschool. And finally, he'd love supplies for the majority of his students, who cannot afford basic tools such as rulers and protractors. He's worried that as a result, some kids won't pass their standardized tests. This American-schoolteacher-mom can relate to that!

Peggy