Holy Redeemer Receives New Playground from Rotary Club

Today was a special day for the upper division students at Holy Redeemer Primary School—they got to inaugurate their brand-new playground. This fantastic addition was generously donated and built by the Rotary Club of Belize Sunrise and the Interact Club of Belize High School. It’s all part of their ongoing mission to improve school facilities across the country. Britney Gordon was on the scene to bring us all the details.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Over the past few days, the Rotary Club of Belize Sunrise and its partners have been busy building an exciting new addition to the Holy Redeemer Primary School Upper Division campus. Today, the school proudly unveiled a fantastic new playground, complete with a slide, monkey bars, and other fun amenities. Dinesh Bhojwani, President of the Rotary Club of Belize Sunrise, praised the team’s dedication and hard work in making this dream come true.

 

Dinesh Bhojwani, President, Rotary Club of Belize Sunrise

“I can tell you there’s blood, sweat, and some tears for sure. Literally. They’ve been working since Thursday coming out here out, drawing out the plans, where it’s all gonna go.  The build started on Saturday. On Saturday and Sunday, all those individuals that I Mentioned were out here digging, taking stuff to wheelbarrows building that wood wall that you see over there. Everybody was outside their comfort zone, especially me, I can tell you that. I’m not a big push stuff, physical stuff guy around but we did it.”

 

In addition to the playground, the school also received a donation of sporting equipment for the over three hundred students attending the upper division to utilize.

 

Fidelia Cuellar, Vice Principal, Holy Redeemer, Upper Division

“ We are over the moon because it is very vital for us to offer our children a well-rounded education. And while academia is something that we are known for, we are also pride ourselves in sports and so this is a great opportunity for the children to express themselves and get stronger too and play.”

 

One enthusiastic student has already picked out her favorite spot in the new playground. She can’t wait to dive into the fun and start playing.

 

Adaija Burke, Student, Holy Redeemer Primary School

“I am excited about the monkey bars because I really love to climb and it’s very fun.”

 

Britney Gordon

“How grateful are you to have received it”

 

Adaija Burke

“I am really grateful and I want to give a big thank you to everyone who made this happen for us and I really love it so much.”

 

Bhojwani explained that this initiative is a part of a larger project to upgrade amenities in schools across Belize City.

 

Dinesh Bhojwani

“ For several years now, the Rotary Club of Belize  Sunrise focuses lot of their projects in education, so whether it’s our wash program where we do bathroom locks for various schools throughout Belize City. One of the other initiatives is the playgrounds and this is probably our fourth maybe fifth playground. And this one comes, as many of them have, through Hope Mission in Canada,”

 

The Rotary Club of Belize Sunrise teamed up with the Belize High School Interact Club and the Rotary and Interact Club of VegreVille in Canada for this project. Seventeen-year-old Mady Nichol expressed her pride in being part of such a meaningful experience.

 

Mady Nichol, President, VegreVille Interact Club

“It’s very exciting. We came out on Saturday morning and worked all day. We had so much help. It was so great, and through all the obstacles, because it is a used playground, we conquered through it and it was just, it’s very exciting to see now that all the kids playing on it. Very rewarding and  I think as a group,  it’s very inspiring to see what we can do as a club of eighteen to eighteen-year-olds.”

 

The Rotary Club of Belize Sunrise has been busy upgrading playgrounds at other schools in the city too, including Saint Joseph Primary School and Saint John’s Anglican Primary School. Their efforts are making a big difference for students all around.

 

Dinesh Bhojwani

“This is part of the commitment that the club has. The Rotarians from Vegreville, the interactors,  that’s commitment to service above yourself. It’s taking yourself to put in the work, I mean look at that.  These kids are having a great time. And that’s what it’s really about. That’s where, that’s the reward for all of us. To see kids get something, it’s a simple thing for all of us. It’s a simple thing. It’s a playground. It’s not that big in the grand scheme, but it really brings a lot of joy.  It’s part of the development of the children.”

 

Britney Gordon for News Five.