Provide electricity to 500 students in Belize

Greetings and many blessings to you and yours this Christmas and Holiday season ---

Since my last report, fund-raising for the project has been steady and I want to thank you all for continuing to support the children of Holy Cross Anglican School located in San Mateo, Belize. Holy Cross is nearing its ten-year anniversary, and we are extremely proud that it is now being entirely managed under the Belizean primary school authorities. Yet at the same time, in particular due to its location near the entrance to San Mateo, it remains a public school with deep and ongoing needs that can only be met by continuing outside assistance.

That said, the presence of the school has acted as a beacon of hope and opportunity for San Mateans and has raised the awareness of public officials concerning the needs this "sub-division" still has --- for example, while there are now some roads, many of the homes not near road access remain as they have been for a decade or more (picture attached). Furthermore, roads were constructed without an adequate drainage plan -- thus the salt marsh is now impeded from moving in and out of the area.

This creates standing brackish water which can breed mosquitoes and other disease carrying agents -- whereas before the salt marsh tides tended to keep these at bay. Furthermore, the lack of any sanitary sewage system plus the increasing population combine to put San Mateans at very high-risk for disease. Incomes remain remarkably low, and the additional population means that there are still not enough classrooms to serve all the children of primary school age -- thus many still roam the streets without any place to go to school.

Thus the Holy Cross five-year expansion plan as discussed in my last report. Attached are several pictures of a classroom expansion that occurred this past summer, enabling us to grow with the size of the 7th and 8th grade classes that had become too large for the existing space, representing the first classroom project completed within the new five year plan.

The need for expansion further underscores our commitment to build on renewable energy both as an environmental benefit and to reduce operating costs. Thanks to you, our donors, we have now pushed past the $70,000 ($70,153 as of the writing of this report) mark in overall funds raised .... with our baseline for Phase 3 being $54,670.60, we have raised $15,482 toward our overall need for $28,000 to fund Phase 3 --- leaving us just $12,500 short. This is excellent news -- so long as our giving remains consistent.

We are eagerly anticipating our next site visit which occur as part of a Foundation Board meeting in early February 2016. At the Board meeting, we will continue to refine our five-year plan based on negotiations with local officials. This should allow us to further prioritize the construction projects ahead. It would be wonderful if, by that time, we could complete our Phase 3 solar fund-raising so that we could sign our Phase 3 contract with Baker Renewable Energy. Can we make that goal? I'm not sure, but you can certainly make an impact by contributing toward it during the holiday season. Consider making a one-time gift of $100, or consider signing up as a renewing contributor if you have not already. All donations are tax deductible, and make a difference in the lives of the children that attend Holy Cross.

May the joy and love of this season be with you now and through the New Year.

John