To date, the Rotary Club of Edmonton with its District 5370 partners, District 4250 partners, and other project partners, have installed playgrounds at the following schools:

• St Martin de Porres Catholic (2014)

• Queen Square Primary Anglican (2015)

• St. John's Vianney Catholic (2016)

• Unity Presbyterian Primary (2017)

• St. John's Anglican (2018)

For the 2019 playground, our partner club in Belize City and the District 4250 Playground Committee advised us of the three locations for the playgrounds: St. Luke Methodist and Stella Maris Schools, as well as a park in the community of Sand Hill.

The Playground Projects were successful, with a large number of project partners from both Edmonton, AB, Canada and Belize coming together to make it happen. Summary of this year's builds included:

• acquisition from the Emmanuel Foundation and shipping to Belize of the playground structures as well as school supplies, bicycles, computers, soccer gear and this year, we added, based on a needs' assessment, sewing machines, computers and eyeglasses for the Belize Sunrise Club to distribute;

• installation of the primary playground over a period of four days;

• installation of the 2nd playground, over a two-day period;

• a ceremony to officially open one playground;

• tours of several potential playgrounds;

• tours of several schools to observe progress on the Literacy Program, and

• distribution of donated soccer balls and uniforms to several schools and community groups.

Each year's project success builds on previous years successes. The St. Luke's project was successful because it provided opportunities for safe play for children and their families in a very impoverished area of South Belize City. The Stella Maris build provided disable students the same opportunity for free play, that other children without disabilities have. Furthermore each year, the number of participating project partnerships keeps growing, as noted by the caption, Picture 4.

The following provides a more detailed description of the playground installations that took place in February 2019.

St. Luke Methodist build

The playground structure selected for installation at St. Lukes came from Caledonia Park, in

Group play teaches us how to socialize and cooperate. Play also gives us a chance to better know ourselves through self-evaluation and self-reflection through critical development tools. This playground will also be helpful because you know we live in a technological era where children just want to sit in front of a tablet or sit in front of a television. This playground will give them the opportunity to come outside to run, to play and to jump. Playgrounds have played a very important role because you know many of our children are becoming obese at a very tender age because they are not as physically active as they used to be. So, this playground will serve a very important purpose" (Chanel5Belize.com).

Preparations for the selection of the playground commenced on June 2018 with our Belize partner, Rotarian Francis Woods and his construction company measuring the site and sending to Emmanuel Foundation, as prework to the selection of playground. The container loading took place at the Emmanuel Foundation warehouse located in Edmonton, AB, and was loaded November 08, 2018.

Preceding this group by two days was our professional construction supervisor Curtis Calafatis, of GPI Outdoor Design, accompanied by three of his employees; making this build year unusual, as usually, only one professional builder oversees the project. In this case, as 3 playgrounds were built, the 4 of them directed the playground builds. The professional builder works on behalf of the Emmanuel Foundation. Mr. Calafatis who specializes in Master of Play, purchased the business from our previous builder, making this his first Belize playground build and perhaps many more, as he sees this as an opportunity for his company during the winters, as Canada only has the summer season for playground builds. The professional builder ensures the playground site is ready for construction and on the evening the volunteers arrive, assembles the team for a construction safety and orientation briefing.

Partnership at work

Future playground selection

Rotary Fellowship through play

The Rotary Club of Belize as well as the Belize Sunrise Club members worked side by side with us building the playground but they also hosted us at their meetings. The team participated in a wonderful social evening, courtesy of Rotarian Francis Woods, the Rotary Club of Belize City and the Rotary Club of Belize Sunrise, in the Wood's Museum building at his tourist recreation facility called Old Belize.

Group photos

Project Closure

 

Ceremonies are held to inaugurate the new playgrounds. Students and teachers gather to see and hear local dignitaries recognize the Rotary volunteers for making possible this wonderful addition to the school and the local community. List of speakers vary with each school, and on behalf of the Rotarian team from Alberta, Markus Muhs, the then Chair of The Rotary Club of Edmonton International Service Committee, addressed the groups. Local media coverage broadcasts the inauguration on various channels later in the day.

Contracts: Letter of agreement to commence the joint venture and a preventative maintenance agreement to conclude the project

 

The Letter of Agreement lists the responsibilities and terms of reference to commence the joint venture between the Emmanual Foundation, The Rotary Club of Edmonton, the Rotary Club of Belize and the playground recipient-school.

The Playground Equipment Maintenance Agreement concluded the construction project for both schools: St. Luke Methodist and Stella Maris. The Playground Equipment Maintenance Agreement lists the maintenance responsibilities of the recipient partners and formally transfers the ownership of the playground from the Consignor, Emmanuel Foundation (Canada) and their selected installer to the Consignees, at installation date, to commit the recipient schools and the Belize Rotary Club to a preventive maintenance program. In this case, to the Principal of St. Luke's Methodist School and Chair of the Maintenance Committee representative from the Rotary Club of Belize City and in the case for Stella Maris, to the Principle of Stella Maris School and Chair of the Maintenance Committee representative from the Rotary Club of Belize City.

Report prepared by:

Irene Makar,

Chairperson, International Service Committee

Director, Rotary Club of Edmonton Ph. 780-914-9647

Email: irene@dalcor.net June 26th, 2019