PathLight Project Opportunities for the 2011 through 2012 School Year:
Each year we meet with the principals and village chairmen in the communities close to Jaguar Creek, our mission and conference center, to talk about the problems they face, and how short term service teams might help. Below are the projects we have identified, listed in order of increasing costs. If you find one of these projects attractive, please do not be too concerned if your group size, or number of work days is not an exact match with the manpower and time requirements listed here. These are very rough estimates. In addition, note that larger groups should feel free to take on several small projects rather than one large one, and small groups may chose to do part of a large project, rather than one small one. In some cases, we may be able to supplement the team with Belizean volunteers from the local villages.
We will provide all the tools, training and supervision needed to get the project done. Our staff has a lot of experience working with teams who have little or no experience in construction or repair. All we need is volunteers with a desire to serve!
School Bell
Estimated Cost: TBD
Where: Armenia Government Primary School
Why: The school would like to have a bell system to announce the breaks for recess and lunch. As it is now, they have to send someone around to all of the rooms to let the teachers know when to let the students out. The buzzers would be located in 3 or 4 strategic locations so they could be heard in any of the classrooms as well as the football field and other play areas. The buzzers would be wired to a single control in the principal’s office.
How: Two people could finish this project in one day.
Student Wash Basin
Estimated Cost: $125
Where: The Community Development Center in Armenia Village.
Why: The Ministry of Health requires a wash basin for students at the preschool. We will install 2 washroom basins and 1 kitchen basin.
How: This would be a good one day project for a small group.
Bathroom Access for Handicapped - March 18-24, 2012, Soul'd Out Ministries Project 1
Estimated Cost: $250
Where: Armenia Government Primary School
Why: The principal told us that a handicapped student will be starting school in September. This “Infant 1” (first grade) student uses a wheel chair. For this child to have access to the bathrooms, existing steps need to be replaced by ramps in a couple of areas. There is also a need to widen the landing in front of the bathroom so she could make the turn.
How: We estimate that these concrete ramps could be built by a team of 4 people in one day.
Classroom painting and repair
Estimated Cost: $300 ($200 painting materials, $100 lumber).
Where: Armenia Government School.
Why: When the school faced a critical shortage of classrooms last year, the village council donated their small building to the school. They expanded the small council building using rough cut, untreated lumber. It is functional, but the walls have cracks and being untreated will not last long without sealing and painting. This project is to install strips of wood to cover the cracks and to put a coat of oil-based paint on both the exterior and interior of the classroom.
How: About 5 gallons of paint will be required. This could be done by a group of 6 people in one day.
Concrete Garbage Incinerator Project completed by the people of St. Margaret Village.
Estimated Cost: $350
Where: The primary school in St. Margaret Village.
Why: The school would like to have a concrete box where they can safely dump and burn refuse. This saves the school from having to haul garbage about 15 miles to the dump
How: This is a good one day project for four people.
Classroom Lights and Fan
Estimated Cost: $415
Where: Armenia Government Primary School
Why: The "Standard 4" (6th grade) classroom has no electricity. This project is to bring electricity to the classroom and install two lights and a fan.
How: Two people could finish this project in one day. Costs are estimated at $415 USD.
Rain Collection System
Estimated Cost: $500
Where: Armenia Government Primary School
Why: Each year, during the dry season, Armenia goes dry. For three or four months the wells go dry and the community is forced to go to the river and haul water back to their homes. This is part of a larger project to ensure that the school has a source of healthy drinking water throughout the school year. This part of the project is to install rain gutters and a downspout to collect water from the roof of one of the classrooms. The water will be collected in tanks (a separate project).
How: A group of two or three could do this project in one day.
Security Bars
Estimated Cost: $625
Where: The primary school in St. Margaret Village.
Why: Security. The new building at the school has some valuable equipment that need to be protected from theft. This project is to install security bars on the four windows of the office. The bars will be custom prefabricated in advance and the team will install them.
How: Two people could do this job in one day.
Resurfacing Classroom Floor - March 18-24, 2012, Soul'd Out Ministries Project 2
Estimated Cost: $700
Where: Armenia Government Primary School
Why: Health and comfort. The floor of the “Standard 3” (5th Grade) classroom has two problems. One is that the floor is not level and rain water collects in the room during heavy rains. Second the concrete used was a poor quality. The room is always dusty and impossible to keep clean. The dusty and dirty conditions are not healthy, especially for young people who may suffer from asthma, chronic colds, or other respiratory problems. A new smooth top to the floor would be a blessing.
How: A team of 8 to 12 could complete this in one day.
Repair of Playground
Estimated Cost: $700
Where: The primary school in Armenia Village
Why: The Peace Corps volunteer has requested help in repairing the playground which is often used by the pre-school children. The playground has deteriorated so much that it has become hazardous. The Village Chairman and the Principal of the school have forbidden the children of Armenia to play at. To repair it will require new lumber, varnish and paint. Some of the structures will need to be rebuilt to make it safe for kids. How: This is a good three day project for a small team.
Install Water Tank
Estimated Cost: $800
Where: The primary school in St. Margaret Village.
Why: Hygiene. The water tank that feeds into the student's bathroom and sink has been damaged by vandalism. The children are not able to get any water into the bathroom which causes a sanitation problem. This project would be to replace the tank and build a concrete barrier around it to prevent people from causing damage to the tank.
How: This is a three or four day project for a small group.
Fence Repair – Project completed by Essex High School - July 2011
Estimated Cost: $900
Where: The primary school in St. Margaret Village
Why: Safety. The project is to repair the fence on the east side of the school grounds and add some gates. This fence helps to keep students on the school grounds. There is a danger (especially for the youngest students) of wandering off. Being able to close gates will prevent large trucks and other vehicles from using the school as a short cut. Painting the fence is an additional option.
Painting the School
Estimated Cost: $1070
Where: The primary school in Cotton Tree Village.
Why: The school is in need of a new paint job. It is surprising how much a clean, freshly painted school can improve the moral of teachers, staff and students. This project consists of pressure washing and then painting the exterior walls of all five school buildings.
How: Eight to ten people could complete this project in three days. Teams looking for smaller projects could do a part of this work.3
Classroom Fans - Project completed by Marc Ayers Group - July 2011
Estimated Cost: $1100 (8 fans plus wiring and switches)
Where: The primary school in Cotton Tree Village.
Why: Belize is hot. Fans in classrooms make a huge improvement to the learning environment. This primary school has four classrooms without fans. We’d like to install two fans in each.
How: Two or three people could complete this project in 3 days.
Classroom Relocation
Estimated Cost: $1250 ($800 for moving company + $450 materials).
Where: Armenia Government Primary School
Why: This is part of a larger project to ensure that the school has a source of healthy drinking water throughout the school year. A small wooden classroom will be relocated to a higher elevation where it can be used to collect rain water. The project consists of creating a new foundation (concrete posts and pillars) for the relocated structure.
How: This project could be done by four people in four days, or a larger group of eight people in two days.
Water Storage Project planned for Faith Community Church in 2012.
Estimated Cost: $1340 (Tanks $900, Platform materials $440)
Where: Armenia Government Primary School
Why: This is part of a larger project to ensure that the school has a source of healthy drinking water throughout the school year. The desire is to have clean water, either collected from roofs, or hauled in by truck, stored in two large tanks where it can be fed by gravity to other parts of the school. This project is to build a platform of block and concrete and install two tanks on top.
How: A team of five or six people could complete this work in 3 days.
Staff Bathroom
Estimated Cost: $1650
Where: The primary school in St. Margaret Village.
Why: The teachers and staff at this school currently share a small wooden bathroom of poor quality. They would love to have separate bathrooms for the men and women. This project is to build a block/concrete bathroom facility.
How: This is a five-day project for five or six people. Or it could be done by two groups in two phases. Day 1: Foundation, Day 2: Floor/plumbing, Day 3: Walls, Day 4: Roof, Day 5: Plaster/Finish.
Football Field
Estimated Cost: $2000
Where: Jaguar Creek
Why: The addition of a football/soccer field at Jaguar Creek would enhance its attractiveness and usefulness to youth groups, church groups, schools and other organizations with a desire to use sports as part of their programs. Hurricane Richard already helped clear out an area for this purpose. The cost of this project includes hiring a tractor to do grading and buying fill dirt.
How: A team of any size could participate in the creation of the football field.
Playground
Estimated Cost: $2500
Where: The primary school in St. Margaret Village
Why: Fun and exercise. In 2010 a group built a basketball court for this school. While the court and the soccer field are great for older children, there is no area where the youngest children can climb or play. Playgrounds are known to help children’s social and physical development -- It would be great to provide some slides and swings.
How: This project would involve clearing an area, filling it with tan bark or other soft material and installing some playground equipment. The actual cost will depend on exactly what type of equipment is installed and whether it is purchased or built. A team of 8 to 12 people could complete this job in 4 or 5 days. This project could also be broken into smaller phases.
Lunch area / water collection Project planned for Faith Community Church in 2012.
Estimated Cost: $3850
Where: Armenia Government Primary School
Why: While the school has a few picnic tables, they do not have an area protected from the sun or rain where they can eat lunch. This project is to build a 20’ X 16’ covering (zinc roof) and concrete slab for the students. The roof will also serve as an additional source of rain water collection.
How: This is a four day project for eight to ten people. Or it could be done by multiple smaller groups in stages: Day 1: Foundation. Day 2: Footings and framing. Day 3: Roofing. Day 4: Concrete floor.
New Classroom
Estimated Cost: $9000
Where: The primary school in Cotton Tree Village
Why: Crowding. This village is growing rapidly and the government is unable to provide funding to the schools to build new classrooms. It is hard to imagine that any effective learning is happening when two classes have to squeeze into one classroom.
How: This classroom will be a wooden structure with a concrete floor. If appropriate, the Jaguar Creek staff can arrange to have contractors build the foundation so that a team could come and complete the project. In this case, we estimate that a team of 10 to 14 people could do this work in 5 days. As an alternative, the project could be broken into multiple phases (floor, wall, roof, and electrical) and done by several different teams.
Chapel/Hurricane Shelter
Estimated Cost: $18,000
Where: Jaguar Creek
Why: Hurricane Richard ripped directly through Jaguar Creek. Some of our brave staff members stayed in the wooden office building to watch over the property. The addition of a small concrete structure would provide some protection for staff (or guests) in the case of future heavy storms. In good weather (most of the time), the building would be used as a place of reflection and prayer.
How: This is a big project that could involve multiple teams in various phases of the project.
Tentative projects:
Repair of Student’s Bathroom
Estimated Cost: TBD
Where: The primary school in St. Margaret Village
Why: The student’s bathroom is in need of repair. The “dry” bathroom (used when there is no water) is missing doors. The regular bathroom needs a wash basin.
How: The scope of this project is still to be determined.
Student Wash Basin
Estimated Cost: TBD
Where: The primary school in St. Margaret Village
Why: The Ministry of Health requires a wash basin for students using the cafeteria.
How: This would be a good one day project for a small group.
Repair of Classroom Roof
Estimated Cost: TBD
Where: The primary school in St. Margaret Village
Why: Some of the roofing on an older building is rusty, leaking and in need of replacement.
How: The scope of this project is still to be determined.
Repair Windows and Doors
Estimated Cost: TBD
Where: Armenia Government Primary School
Why: Safety, security and comfort. Many of the doors and windows are badly in need of repair. Some of the doors can be lifted off its hinges. Others are rusted through. While others have a frame that is cracking and can easily be knocked down. Certain windows are so bad that classes are usually stopped if the rain gets too hard because the school cannot stop the rain from flooding into the classrooms.
How: This is a 3 or 4 day project for a small team. | 
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