Our students have just finished up two of the most challenging and exciting weeks that
CCSP Belize has to offer: Internships! These weeks include working with a Belizean organization that fits each student's personal interests & passions, living with a local Belizean family, an abundance of new adventures, and a healthy dose of personal growth. Students gain new skills, new perspectives, new ideas on the futures they want to pursue, and a new respect for Belizean life. Check out how each of our eight, great students experienced this for themselves:
Marissa Beversluis
The Belize Zoo
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| Marissa with two tapirs, the national animal of Belize |
I had a fun and informative couple of weeks at the
Belize Zoo for my internship! I spent the majority of my time at the zoo helping out in the Animal Management department. Most of the time this meant I was shadowing one of the keepers for the day and helping them with whatever they were doing. The most common tasks I did included cutting up food (lots of fruit, vegetables, and chicken) and bringing it to the animals, cleaning out animals' enclosures, and washing lots of dishes. Though I did many of the same things each day, there was always something new or different to be done, which kept things interesting. One of my favorite parts of this experience was getting a closer, more personal look at the animals and spending some quality time with a few of them, like a macaw named Bella who was formerly someone's pet, and a rambunctious baby ocelot named Rhaburn. I also enjoyed getting to know some of the employees at the zoo and interacting with the visitors from Belize and all over the world. Getting to see the "behind the scenes" of the zoo was a very unique opportunity that I really appreciated and enjoyed.
Rachel Carson
San Antonio Women's Group
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| Helping out inside the gift shop |
I worked with the San Antonio Women's Group for the past two weeks, which is a women's cooperative of 9 women that are working to keep their Mayan heritage alive, as well as help provide for their families. They make pottery and embroidery, raise and sell chickens, and give short tours to school groups and tourists to give them an idea of what goes into making the pottery and corn tortillas (a staple of their diet). The group is becoming better known for what they are doing, so we had several (5) groups varying in size come through during my two weeks there. I helped a lot with preparing for them to visit, as many of them were larger groups that had ordered lunch with their tour. I was also able to learn how they make their pottery and embroidery. The pottery is made through a mixture of molds (which is what I did), handmade items, and the pottery wheel. My embroidery was quite simple compared to the beautiful pieces the women make; plus I was much slower! The women were a lovely, talented group that were very welcoming and made me feel quite at home.
Eric Grootenboer
Friends for Conservation and Development
I had a very rewarding experience with the
Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD) working in the Chiquibul National Forest. I was assigned to work for one week in the Chiquibul with the rangers at Tapir Camp and got to experience life in the jungle. I learned many valuable skills along the way including how to use a machete properly and how to make flour tortillas. My duties in the Chiquibul were mainly based around the newly built visitor centre. I did a lot of raking and cleaning up the area around the building as well as picking up garbage and tidying up. I also gathered some wild orchids to be tied up as ornamental flowers by the entrance of the building. Another task I was assigned to help with was cleaning and fixing the tractors that had served to transport rangers into the interior on patrols. We also chopped the vegetation that had overgrown the Chiquibul National Park sign as well as the grass around Tapir Camp. It was a very productive week in the Chiquibul and I enjoyed learning about the jungle and the challenges the rangers face in protecting the park from illegal activity.
The second part of my internship involved working in the FCD office in San José Succotz. I was given the task of laminating maps to make them waterproof, as well as other office duties. I also was assigned to clean up the yard and rake all the fallen leaves around the office.
These two aspects of my internship served to benefit me in learning more about conservation and how the wildness in wilderness can be preserved; I had a great time at my internship with the FCD.
Taylor Estabrooks
Toledo Institute for Development and Environment
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| assisting in a Green Sea Turtle necropsy |
I had the amazing opportunity to intern at the
Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE) in Punta Gorda, Belize. I participated in projects including Hicattee monitoring, water quality monitoring, a Green Sea Turtle necropsy, and Rosewood monitoring. Hicattee monitoring involved tracking endangered aquatic turtles to determine their location. This species is both endangered and an important cultural aspect to the local community. Therefore, its conservation is both imminent and urgent. Next, I participated in a four-day water quality monitoring expedition to the Cayes in the Port Honduras Marine Reserve. There, we took sediment and water samples at various locations in the marine reserve and completed a fish stock assessment of commercial fishing vessels in the marine reserve. Thirdly, I assisted by taking the coroner's notes for a necropsy of a Green Sea Turtle found dead in the marine reserve (as seen in the photo). This in particular was a truly unique experience and something I will not soon forget. Lastly, I assisted in the beginning work of a Rosewood monitoring project. My time here at TIDE taught me the true importance of conservation and opened my eyes to new fields of study. It was an experience that will not be soon forgotten!
Derek Opp
St. Gabriel's Clinic
My internship at St. Gabriel's Clinic presented me with experiences that I would never have been exposed to in the States. I was able to observe surgeries such as the removal of a forehead abscess, aneurysm, and gallbladder during my time in the clinic. I was able to work alongside the nurse in the clinic, and was not bound by some of the regulations that limit patient contact in the States. I performed several duties such as taking vitals, conducting basic clinical interviews, sterilizing equipment, organizing medical inventory, assisting the nurse, and shadowing various personnel in the clinic. I also was given the opportunity to experience how a private hospital is operated in Belize by traveling to La Loma Luz Hospital. There I was able to make some fast connections and be exposed to diagnostic testing in Belize. I also took a couple days to investigate traditional medicine in Belize. I spoke with a local bush doctor and went out into the rainforest to gather herbs that she uses in her herbal remedies. She demonstrated how to make these remedies, and I enjoyed listening to her passion in her work. This was also an experience unique to Belize; I was introduced to plants that have been used for millennia for their healing properties, and it fascinated me that the traditions have been passed down and are still used today. Through these very different experiences, I was exposed to a variety of forms of healthcare in Belize, and gained a considerable amount of understanding of the country's healthcare system.
St. Hilda's Anglican Church
I interned with St. Hilda's Anglican Church, a part of the Anglican Diocese here in Belize. My day always began with Morning Prayer, a beautiful practice in the Tradition that works as a spiritual breakfast. Morning Prayer is designed to annually walk active Anglicans through most of the Hebrew Bible and all of the New Testament. The Psalms are prayed through every seven weeks. This was a treasured aspect of my experience, much like the daily home visits my supervisor and I took in the evenings. Usually, we went about hearing the needs or joys pressing the hearts of those in Georgeville, and I gained a deeper understanding of Belizean culture as we visited people of every age and status group.
Aside from these valuable daily activities, the other major portion of my internship was working with the affiliated schools. I presented eight chapel messages for local Anglican schools, beginning on my second day. I was even blessed to lead the entire service by the second week and final school. The church is highly involved in the schools, so I also led teacher devotions at two locations. Small group discussions with the teachers and large group preaching with the students provided excellent new opportunities for me to learn about my skills and passions as I pursue a future in ministry.
Mara Vander Maten
San José Succotz Roman Catholic School
My internship was at the San José Succotz Roman Catholic School. Over the course of the two weeks I did a couple of tasks. Those tasks included supervising classrooms, leading some physical education classes for multiple grades, as well as doing tutoring and one-on-one sessions. I spent most of my time primarily working with two boys who are in Standard IV. They were ten years old and were falling behind in reading and mathematics. All seven hours of the the school day I would take one of them and work with them on learning and memorizing sight words, learning how to sound out words, and reading comprehension. The other half of the day we spent working on math. On Fridays at the end of the day is when I would lead physical education classes. We would start off with a variety of stretches and exercises and then end with a game of their favorite sport, softball. This was a very humbling and transforming internship. Being able to interact with the children, as well as the staff, was a great opportunity to understand more about the country and the people that are here.
Sustainable Harvest International
For the internship weeks I was able to work at
Sustainable Harvest International - Belize. This organization is located in the coastal town of Punta Gorda in southern Belize. The staff were all very friendly and I was able to be completely immersed into Belizean culture and into all their roles at SHI. Sustainable Harvest works to help farmers out in remote villages by providing them with training and tools which allow them to increase agricultural yields and better supply for their family, all while preserving the natural jungle forests that surround the area. In order to achieve this, SHI has many ongoing projects. I was able to experience a few of these practices, such as the building of a cement cookstove, the building of a solar latrine, and the delivery of chicken wire and coconut plants to needy farmers. I was also able to accompany SHI staff in checking up on farmers who have micro-credit loans, as well as help in taking numerous soil samples. Another event I was able to participate in was the day-long training sessions for farmers from a remote village. This training day included classroom sessions as well as practical, hands-on lessons. I greatly enjoyed my experience at Sustainable Harvest International - Belize. They have an amazing staff who are dedicated to bettering the lives of the people they work with, while still promoting the practices that preserve the unique tropical forests of Belize.
Many thanks to the wonderful Belizean families and organizations who took care of our students for these two weeks!
