February 4

On Saturday morning a small group took the water taxi from San Pedro back to Belize City to visit, again, the Dorothy Menzies Center. We met with Dorothy Menzies and her daughter Kay, who run the school, with several board members of the school, and with members of the Belize City Rotary Club, who will be working in conjunction with the West St. Paul Rotary Club to raise some much needed funds for the center.

We were both encouraged and saddened all over again, with our second visit to the center.

Encouraged because the adults directing the center are caring and capable, and determined. They are working so very hard for the children of the center and it seems they are making some progress in terms of finding new sources of funding for needed repairs and improvements. They are providing a safe place for children who have not known a safe place before in their lives. They offer hope and love to children who have not seen either before.

But we were also saddened all over again, as we toured the inner living quarters of the center. There is so much need. Food, clothing, daily hygiene supplies, books...

And 70 children living in a space built for 12 means there are not enough beds - some sleep on mattresses on the floor, some sleep on bunk beds with only wooden slats, no mattress at all, and some sleep two to a single bed. Boys and girls of all ages (toddler through 18 years old) are housed together.


There are certainly not adequate bathroom facilities. Of the three bathrooms in the facility, only 1 was functioning properly. The common space for the 70 children to gather when not in their rooms was the size of an average living room in the U.S.

For the safety of the children, we were not allowed to take their photos during our visit. But the images of those children, so badly in need of love and affection that many of them would grab us, begging to be hugged, sometimes physically placing our arms around them, will not leave our minds nor our hearts. A reminder of what true need is, a reminder of the determination of the human spirit, and a reminder that if we are to be the hands and feet of Christ, we have some work to do.