By Karen Cay

Local group raises money for South American school

Mar 5, 2011 | 2:20 PM

Blanca Hilda School in Gualan, Guatemala has aspirations to become a school of the future within the Guatemalan education system.

This dream is becoming a reality because of help from the Rotary Club of Prince Albert.

Rotary is a service club in the broadest sense of the word. They support their community but also look outside of Prince Albert to see where they can be of help.

“Rotary International has a list of programs and projects throughout the world,” said local club president, Harvey Agnew.

“We wanted to support a project which would have a permanent and long term effect – a project where we could partner with other organizations to maximize the value of the money we are able to put in.”

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The Rotary Club of Prince Albert partnered with the Ripple Effect, a Rotarian Program which identifies schools in need of development. The intention is to create a ripple of benefit to an entire community by educating its youth.

The partnership and project was approved by CRCID (Canadian Rotary Collaboration for International Development). It offers matched funding to Rotary Clubs for international development programs, projects through the Canadian International Development Agency's contributions, the Ripple Effect Program, D5550 World Community Service Foundation, the Rotary Club of Gualan and the municipality of Gualan.

The Prince Albert donation of $5,000 grew to more than $12,000 through their partners. It will enable the building of two new classrooms and the refurbishing of six washrooms at the all-girl school.

Gord and Deb LeMaistre, chairpersons of the Ripple Effect reported that since the sod turning in Oct. 20, one dilapidated building, used as a classroom, was removed for an increase of three rooms. A total of four rooms are being built.

The municipality is funding the additional two classrooms and also are doing some grading, landscaping and repairs to retaining walls.

Currently, there are more than 450 students, teachers and a devoted principal who have worked at Blanca Hilda for nearly 30 years.

The washrooms were in need of repair, with most toilets not working. The construction of the new classrooms and the upgrade to the washrooms will make a significant impact on the education of the students and the impact on the community.

“Working with the Ripple Effect, our club knew we would have a genuine and measurable effect on the people of this community,” says Agnew.

kcay@panow.com