Dedication of the New Building at the Child Care Centre

The week has been a busy one!  Clean-up for the dedication/blessing of the new building at the Dorothy Menzies Child Care Centre occupied much of the attention of the staff and children alike for the first half of the week.

The building, which houses the office for the house mother/director, some administrative staff, my office and a conference room, was completed shortly before I arrived in Belize.  Then some additional repairs to broken tiles had to be completed (the day before the dedication on 12 June).  We barely had time to clean up all of the tile dust!  Meanwhile, Cisco Construction came in with loads of gravel to line the walkways, and they built a couple of play structures.  The Centre looked so clean and spiffed up!  I wish it could stay like that!

On Wednesday afternoon, the invited guests began arriving.  A minister from the Salvation Army did the blessing, children performed, and the U.S. military liaison office was present to represent their role in actually constructing the building.  The Board of Directors was present, as well as people from the Ministry of Human Development.  And all three television stations!  The children were great through the rather long ceremony.  Refreshments were served and tours given!  It was a special day!

Above, people are gathering under the shade structure, also built by the Rotary Club, the greatest supporters of the Centre!

Mrs. Virginia Echols from the Board of Directors is welcoming everyone!

On the left is Mrs. Hortense Kelly-Augustine who is the house mother/director and my boss!  She is absolutely the most wonderful person to know and with whom to work!  And the children all love her!

As the ceremony ended and people were touring the facility and getting refreshments, a short down-pour of rain fell.  Of course, it was after the rain that the television station interviewed me, as having a counselor, sponsored by the Rotary Club and the Wagner Foundation, was a featured topic of the ceremony.  I looked a little like a drowned rat!  But the sound bite wasn't too bad.  Fun day!