Lindsay Barden
University Of Belize - Environmental Research Institute
For two weeks I had the amazing opportunity to do my internship for the University of Belize. I traveled to their field station on Calabash Caye to help out with a field study of the mangrove forests. I collected leaf litter samples from around the atoll, and then processed them in the lab. When I wasn't working with the mangrove leaves, I was walking the beach and nearby trails in the forest, tracking down lizards, snakes, and birds to photograph for the university. I was lucky enough to hold a wild boa constrictor and see a sea turtle nest - check those off the bucket list!! I also did some beach clean-up, picking up and collecting data for the trash found on shore, most of which travels in from the ocean currents and arrives on the island. It was very eye opening to see the effects of trash in the ocean firsthand. I gained experience doing field work and improved my photography skills, while experiencing the culture of the cayes. My internship was filled with sun, sand, wildlife and learning - an invaluable experience for sure!
Dorothy De Boer
King's Children's Home
I interned at the King's Children's Home, and I had an absolutely fantastic time with the kids there. When the kids got home from school, we would often do homework together, like reading and spelling, but after that it was all fun and games. I taught them a number of patty-cake games, and we ended up doing those games every day numerous times with the same kids, which almost always made two or three other kids want to learn the rhymes. Let's just say my arms and voice got a little tired.
The work they are doing at the home is so essential. You can see the joy and life in the eyes of the children living there. Yes, there is obviously some fighting and frustration between children and staff, but for the most part, the kids are healthy and happy. Highlights for the kids are playing football (soccer) or basketball and getting rides in the back of the pickup truck. Those highlights were at the top of my list, too, along with getting tackled by the kids and hugged before I even knew some of their names. I had a wonderful time interning at the King's Children's Home; it was difficult to leave, and I would go back in a second.
Anna Blomberg
Friends for Conservation and Development
My internship was with Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD) in the village of Succotz. I was with the Environmental Outreach Coordinator for the two weeks, and got to accompany her to present material on the Chiquibul Forest to different schools in the area. It was so rewarding to go to the schools and talk with the kids about all that they have in Belize, in the Chiquibul, and how important it is to conserve it; many of the kids had no idea of the resources that are right in their backyard! I also got to meet many of the chairmen from the surrounding villages and talk with them about sustainability and what they are doing to improve their villages as far as protecting the environment goes. Getting to speak face to face with the different mayors about important issues (like safe drinking water and what the villages are doing about litter in their areas) was an experience I will not soon forget, and one I would never get in the States! It was such a great opportunity to see how FCD is working hard to spread the word on conserving and protecting the Chiquibul Forest in Belize, and to be a part of a foundation that is sure to make a huge difference in the future.
Becca Shroeder
Chaa Creek Lodge
I learned so much while working at Chaa Creek. I worked at their butterfly farm, where I got to see the life cycle of the blue morpho butterflies in action. I also got to design and build an exhibit for their Natural History Museum. During this process I leaned a lot about Mayan culture, both in the past and the present. To top it all off, I went on a horseback ride with some of the nature guides, who taught me about the flora and fauna of the area. By the time I came back I had so much new information in my head, I thought it would explode.
One thing i really liked about Chaa Creek was seeing how they try to be a place that is environmentally friendly while being beneficial to the local people involved with it. The particular department I was working with, which includes the butterfly farm, the Natural History Museum, and the stable, tried to encourage sustainable practices in the community through education. They taught the employees, the visitors, and the people from their surrounding communities about the wildlife and culture of the area so they would be more likely to try to preserve it.
Jacque Reahm
Cornerstone Foundation & Sacred Heart School
I had my internship at the Cornerstone Foundation, and Sacred Heart's after-school tutoring program. My day started off with going to Cornerstone at 8 o'clock am and helping the cook, Ms. Martha, prepare the food for the feeding program. The feeding program is really great; it is for children whose parents cannot, for whatever reason, provide a lunch for them on school days. These students come to Cornerstone during their lunch break and get a lunch, as well as the chance to do arts and crats. That is where I came in: I helped prepare the food, so I did a lot of chopping vegetables, washing rice, and even making tuna balls. Once the kids got there and ate, I would lead them in arts and crafts. They loved making bracelets out of beads almost as much as they loved Ms. Martha's food; so for most of the time I was there, we made things with beads that I found in the arts & crafts cupboard. After the kids left to return to school, I would help clean up and then either sort through files, or make jewelry with Ms. Martha. She was in charge of making handmade jewelry to sell to raise money for the foundation. She taught me how to make earrings, and I made about 6 or 7 pairs; it was a lot of fun! Cornerstone closet at 2 o'clock each day, so afterwards I would walk down the street to help out at Sacred Heart school's tutoring program. I helped different students with lower levels of math and English. It was a great accomplishment for both me and the student when the student understood their homework after asking me for help. Both programs, the feeding program and the tutoring program, were very enjoyable. The staff members at both were kind and fun to be around, and I cannot wait to go back and visit.
Michaela Horst
La Loma Luz Seventh Day Adventist Hospital
La Loma Luz Seventh Day Adventist Hospital
For two weeks I worked at La Loma Luz Hospital in Santa Elena. My primary duty was to assist the nurses and take vital signs. Each patient had to have blood pressure, temperature, pulse, and respiratory rate measured once every four hours. I worked with the newborn babies, elderly patients, youth, adults, and new mothers. The most exciting thing that I got to do was observe a C-section. They allowed me to stand in the operating room and watch as they made a vertical incision through her skin, muscle, and uterus wall to remove the baby. It was incredible to witness the surgical process and to see the baby being pulled out of its mother. I was also able to watch a natural birth. Other things that I had the opportunity to do include: inserting an IV, assisting the insertion of a Foley catheter, bathing newborn babies, and cleaning out diapers of patients who were not mobile enough to reach the bathroom. There are not as many health care regulations in Belize so I was able to do a lot of things I would not have been able to do in the States. The laid back nature of Belize was very apparent in the hospital. Although I spent some time not doing much at the hospital, I learned a lot from talking to the other nurses and patients. It was an incredibly enriching experience to be so immersed in the culture and to see the ins and outs of Belizean healthcare.
Alex Nordquist
San Antonio Women's Group
For my internship, I had the privilege of spending two weeks in the lovely village of San Antonio at the San Antonio Women's Group. The San Antonio Women's Group is a small organization started by ladies in the community who wanted to reclaim their Mayan culture and make some extra income to support their families. Some of their tasks include making traditional Mayan pottery from clay that they collect, dry, and process by hand from creeks in their village; raising lots of chickens to slaughter and sell to the people in their community; and making beautiful, hand-embroidered clothing that they sell along with their pottery.
During my time there, I had the opportunity to work with the clay while learning about why this lost art is so important to the culture of their families. I also had the chance to get my hands dirty with some of the ladies by assisting them with slaughtering their local chickens. It was an incredible learning experience to have such an intimate relationship with the food that they produce and eat. It was also an inspirational time to spend with the women who are breaking down the traditional expectations for women to stay at the home, and who are instead working incredibly hard to financially support their families. I made many great friendships with the families I met, I learned so much about the hard work of a subsistence lifestyle, and learned new skills that I will carry with me forever. It was a major highlight of my semester here in Belize!
A huge thank you to all the organizations and families who hosted our students, and to Alex, our internship coordinator, for setting everything up!
Such great write ups! Fun to read about all the wonderful experiences! Way to go to each of you for learning and contributing to the beautiful culture and communities in Belize!
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