On Tuesday, May 5, the Rotary Club of Belize in collaboration with Hand in Hand Ministries donated a house valued at just under $15,000 to Ms. Adelita Aranda of #6432 Jasmine Street. Before this generous gesture, Aranda was living in a congested board house with her three children, mother and stepfather. A while back, the flooring of the house fell to the ground. Aranda said that she and her children were sleeping on the floor and when it rains, water leaks through the roof/walls and collects on the floor. She gets teary eyed when she reflects on the conditions of which her children Aleesha, Marlon and Randy were living under, but thanks to Hand in Hand and the Rotary Club of Belize; Aranda now has one more reason to smile. Sitting on the steps of her new home, she said, “I feel wonderful – I am so happy about it, and I thank God for what he has done for me and my children.”
The President of the Rotary Club of Belize, Edison Flowers, said, “Rotary is always seeking avenues to help those that are less fortunate.” He said that Adelita Aranda needed a home and they were able to provide the funding. Rotarian volunteers provided the labour, and the construction was supervised by Hand in Hand Ministries. Aranda’s home was the third house that Rotary has donated in the last three years. Flowers said, “The home program is one that each Rotarian President must accomplish. Our new goal is to donate two homes per year in the future.” He said that his term as president is almost completed but that the program is definitely going to be on the top of the next president’s agenda.
Bernard Panton Sr., Director of Special Programmes for Hand in Hand Ministries, commended the Rotarians for their commitment to charitable deeds. He said that Hand in Hand supports four programmes. In addition to the housing programme in which they identify the deserving individual for Rotary, they also sponsor a daycare center for children born with HIV/AIDS, a cafeteria programme to assist in the feeding program of several primary schools and a scholarship programme for children entering high school and junior college.
Hand in Hand and the Rotary Club of Belize plans to continue working together to keep charity alive in Belize.
