NEW WORLD VILLAGES
We can do no great things, just small things with great love! Mother Theresa
BELIZE LIBRARIES
New World Villages believes that education is the way out of poverty and a village or town's library can be a great tool for all residents to use in order to help improve their literacy level. That being the case, we renovated the outer walls of a library located in the largest town in southern Belize, Punta Gorda. This library is housed in an old concrete water tank and the outer plaster walls were crumbling badly. Our mission was to remove the plaster and paint the exterior of the library in a fashion that will welcome the local kids and adults. We also had the opportunity to help build a library in the Mayan village of San Pedro Columbia.
NICARAGUA ORPHANAGE PAVILLION
New World Villages financed and help build a pavillion on the grounds of the Centro Infantile Cristiano Nicaraguense, an orphanage located on the island of Ometepe located in Lake Nicaragua. The orphanage serves over 20 children and offers them a safe and loving place to live and learn. Hellen Vindas manages the orphanage as well as a school on the property which educates not only the children under her care but more than 60 of the local kids. We were pleased to have been able to partner with this fine group and provide a solid structure which will be used as the main gathering area on the grounds of CICIRN. This structure will aid the staff in offering the children a hand up in a pleasant environment.
SUSTAINABLE FARMING
New World Villages working with Dorla Bowman, Executive Director of Socio-Economic Outreach, took the next step in our efforts to improve the lives of subsistence farmers in the area, by financing the materials needed and providing the labor to build a large holding pen for the animals used in the program. This project will allow a local supply of piglets and chickens to be available for villagers in the area who are screened to become part of the Animals for Others program, designed to improve the nutrition and health of those it serves.
BATTERED WOMEN'S SHELTER
New World Villages accepted a proposal from Mary Open Doors, a battered women's shelter in the town of San Ignacio in Belize, to build a pavilion extension onto and paint the inside and outside of their shelter for women and their children. We have the mission to offer a hand up to those in need and our work at their shelter was most appreciated.
Classroom build 2019
In May of 2019 NWV traveled to the Bethel Primary School in the Indianville area of the town of Punta Gorda, Belize. Our projects included the completion of a classroom being built, build a playground for school children ages 3-7, spread 15 yards of gravel on school grounds, general school beautification, and to deliver laptops in order to seed a computer lab at the school. NWV financed the entire effort with donations from individuals as well as Earthwise, Inc and other like minded organizations.(Interconnections of Seattle provided us the laptops we brought down at a reduced cost).
Eleven volunteers joined us on this trip and together, working with parents, teachers, local labor specialists, and the wonderful children of the school, we were able to complete our goals.
As usual, the experience of this effort positively affected all parties and much love was shown by everyone!
COMPUTER LABS
New World Villages has a long history of establishing computer labs in both Belize and Nicaragua. To date, we have installed 12 labs using over 200 new and used PCs/laptops donated through partnerships with Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, TIAA-CREF, Interconnections, Serving Saints, and the Bellevue Rotary Club. Our goal is to offer educational and business opportunities to students, locals, and entrepreneurs to help in the advancement of technical knowledge in their communities. Included in these labs were all the peripheral equipment needed, such as routers, printers, projectors, and software. New World Villages has been recognized by the government of Belize for our outstanding work in this area.
PAST PROJECTS
READING LAB
In May of 2022 NWV partnered again with Building People Movement to establish a reading diagnostics lab (STARS) in the town of Punta Gorda, Belize. It is located on the grounds of the University of Belize campus in Punta Gorda and will be used to help diagnosis reading/learning disabilities of the local grammar school children.