Service-Learning Course to Belize
January, 2007, found fifteen University of Southern Maine students and two USM School of Social Work faculty, Barbara Rich and Connie Ostis, in Belize for a Wintersession service-learning course entitled “Child Welfare in Belize.” Prior to departure the students studied the history, diverse culture, and social problems of the only English-speaking country in Central America. Pre-departure classes with teambuilding exercises helped to meld a diverse group of graduate and undergraduate social work students along with students from business, media studies, therapeutic recreation, psychology, and non-students from the community.
Belize
Bordered by Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the west and south, Belize is a small, sparsely populated country in Central America. While English is the official language, the diverse populations that make up Belize—principally Creoles, mestizos, Garifuna, Mayan, and Mennonites—each also speak their own languages. Like other tourist destinations in the Caribbean basin, Belize boasts beautiful sandy beaches, palm trees, a laid-back attitude, exotic animals and fish, clear water, and blue skies. It also has the second-largest coral reef in the world and many come to fish, sail, swim, snorkel, and dive off the coast and in the cayes, the offshore islands that are likened to paradise. But we were not there as tourists.
Service-learning
The service provided by the group focused on two different areas. The first was the Dorothy Menzies Children’s Home in Belize City. This institution is a combination of orphanage for those children who have no parents to care for them and a group home to provide short- or long-term care for children whose parents are temporarily unable to have them at home. The Home houses 65 children, ages 2-20, in a crowded facility surrounded by a playground. The USM students were divided into three groups of five students each to develop appropriate games and activities for various age groups. Craft supplies and games were purchased with a grant from an anonymous donor or provided by donations garnered by the students. Staffed by minimally trained caretakers, the Home is unable to provide the individual attention and nurturing so desperately needed by the large number of children. Heartbreaking stories abounded. For example, there was one four-year old who had been found with her dead mother and whose grief was inconsolable. She alternated between quietly crying while clutching us to howling for her mother. One evening the police brought in three little sisters—two toddlers and a baby. The two oldest were very difficult to manage and had to be watched at all times to prevent them from harming other children, particularly their siblings. Days there began and ended with circle time where all participants could say what they liked best about the day. Perhaps the most popular activity was the Sweet Dreams project. We had brought enough white and pastel pillowcases for each child to make a special pillowcase with waterproof markers and embellishments and with the child’s name on it. Other activities included jewelry making, origami and paper airplanes, ethnic dances which the children taught the students, sidewalk chalk, dodge ball, human knot, and Simon Says, and many others.
To give you a flavor of the experience, here are some excerpts from the students’ reflection journals:
“Today’s activities worked so well. We were like a well-oiled machine. We circled everyone up and explained what activities we would be doing. Then, we had the kids join us in a big group game of Simon Says. When interest began to wane, we broke up into groups. Some did trust activities, some did tag games, and others decorated pillowcases. Like previous days, I found myself drawn to Jose (names have been changed to honor confidentiality), the deaf boy, and I spent quite a bit of time communicating with him and helping him decorate his pillowcase. I felt very connected to him for that short amount of time. I felt like I could have interpreted anything he was trying to say and we could understand each other. As we were wrapping up our conversation, we heard that there was a dance party going on out back. I decided to go out and investigate. What I saw made me smile and feel so privileged to be here experiencing such wonderful things. Our whole group of students and almost all of the children were circled up dancing to the beating of the drums played by some of the boys. The children were teaching us how to dance [in the Garifuna style]. What an amazing cultural bonding experience. I felt like it was important for us to show interest in having them teach us some things about their culture. Seeing everyone all together, dancing, learning from one another and having a lot of fun was beyond amazing. We wrapped up our time at the home today by circling up again and playing a game called “Gotcha” and everyone loved the game. Afterwards, we all went around, children and USM students alike, and reported on what our favorite thing about the day was. It felt very good to hear them say that they made new friends, learned new games, and had a lot of fun. What a successful day!”
“Working in the Children’s Home was another life changing experience for me. I not only spent time with the children but also took some extra time to spend with staff. I was able to utilize some social work and people skills to learn more about the different systems in Belize. I learned about the adoption process and just how long some of the children have been in the home. I listened to many stories of trauma, abandonment, and neglect as reasons for why many of the children are in the Home.”
“I have learned so much through this service-learning experience. I realized that although we may feel we are not making a difference to these kids, we are. Something Michelle said about our work really stuck out to me. She said that even though we may not feel like we are making a difference, some kids may remember us for the rest of their lives. She said if all we are doing is showing these kids that they are capable of being loved, then we have done our job well. This really encouraged me and helped me see that we are making a difference for these kids at Dorothy Menzies even though we may not be able to see it. One memory that will always stay with me is when we left the Home every day. As the bus pulled away the kids would run along the fence yelling and waving goodbye. This memory is so powerful to me because it was moments like these that made me feel special and that we were doing something good for the kids at the Dorothy Menzies Home.”
A second service project involved a women’s group in the north of the country. The MAMAS (in Spanish, Women Helping Women Achieve Empowerment) are a group of mestizo and Mayan women from Orange Walk Town who meet regularly to teach themselves how to sew, embroider, and make jewelry both for their own families and to sell. Some of the women are so poor that they cannot afford fabric or thread yet attend classes and make patterns out of newspaper hoping for the day when they can afford these things. Our group donated five sewing machines, large quantities of fabric, thread, sewing notions, and beads. These supplies were turned over to the MAMAS with due ceremony. Many pictures were taken as the sewing teacher, the embroidery teacher, and the jewelry teacher examined the donations. The women served journeycakes and lemonade and showed us their handiwork. This was the first time that this group had gotten any attention or donations from visitors.
“As I spoke with different people and listened to their stories, I listened to how they expressed themselves, how they described themselves, what things were important to them, what things stayed with them. And as I listened I felt this connection, this shared moment—the shared laughter, smiles, or simply emotion. When our student group visited a women’s group in Orange Walk, there was a woman who spoke very little English. Her primary language was Spanish. I have studied Spanish and was able to introduce myself to her and converse with her. This was a very memorable experience for me—to talk with this woman, a stranger, and share our stories. She tells me about her family, her children, the wedding dress she is making. We laugh. We share this moment and it becomes part of our history, it becomes a part of my story and a part of her story. Not only did I share this moment and feel this connection, but I gained insight into this particular woman’s experience. I got to glimpse, for a moment, her life through her eyes. Her story allowed me to do that—not to completely understand, but to get closer, to glimpse this new perspective. This knowledge, this understanding of another’s life, culture, and experiences cannot be learned through books or articles. It is a different kind of knowledge…”
Our community partner in Belize was the Anglican diocese. Together with the government, they run many of the schools and we also visited a public school to get a firsthand view of the educational system for children. Some of the teachers were particularly interested in learning more about how to help their students who were being abused or neglected.
The USM social work faculty visited the University of Belize to meet with two teachers in the Department of Social Work there. This may lead to collaboration in the future.
Looking back on their experiences, students said:
“I feel like I left pieces of my heart all around Belize, In the landscape, at the Children’s Home, with the local Belizeans. Whenever you step into another culture I feel that it is impossible not to come back changed. You can see an orphan on a television commercial but it is nothing like seeing one face to face. Having them touch you and seek attention from you just warms the heart. It is so emotionally draining, yet so gratifying when you spend significant time making someone’s life a little bit better than before.”
“I have learned a lot about myself of this trip and would not change any of my learning experiences. My ethics and values were put to the test and decision-making skills challenged. I have learned to enter opportunities with an open mind, as it will enhance my cultural competence and skills as a social worker.”
“I have learned many things about myself during this service-learning trip. I learned I can go out of my comfort zone and actually be comfortable. I learned I hold stereotypes about certain aspects of different cultures that are not usually true, and may in fact be just the opposite. Before going to Belize I heard and read that the crime rate is high and I would probably not feel safe. I never once felt nervous when I was walking the streets of Belize. The people were so welcoming and hospitable. I have learned so much about Belizean culture and I have a new found passion for Belize’s people, children, and animals.”
Although we did work hard while we were there, we also did some cultural trips and visits. At the Museum of Belize, the national museum that is housed in the old jail in Belize City, our students were able to view artifacts from the long history of Belize, including fine jades, pottery, and carvings, and the most beautiful collection of jewel-toned butterflies in Central America. We also went to two other museums—the Olde Belize Museum and the Pirate Museum, climbed to the top of the Altun Ha Mayan ruins, snorkeled at Caye Caulker, and visited the Belize Zoo, which houses all the indigenous animals of Belize in their natural habitats. Only orphaned or injured animals are included in the collection.
The following quote from a student seemed to echo what the others had said and summarized the experience in a couple of sentences:
“Thank you. It was the most touching and memorable experience I have ever had. It is safe to say that my life has been changed forever.”
