Returning to complete work in Belize, students travel over winter break

H-SC students mix mortar for use on building the maternity ward

Over spring break, seven Hampden Sydney students, Dean Mladen Cvijanovic ’08, and Drew Prehmus ’08 ventured deep into southern Belize to the town of Punta Gorda in the Toledo District.  The group was led by Charlie Joe Green in conjunction with the Rivers of the World Ministry and the Beyond the Hill program. 

Rivers of the World (ROW) is a not-for-profit Christian ministry founded and directed by Ben Mathes, a great friend to Hampden-Sydney College and the Beyond the Hill program. ROW’s mission is to serve disadvantaged countries around the world, providing them with the technology, service, expertise, and equipment that they otherwise would not have access to.  ROW is currently in 14 countries around the world ranging from Congolese nations, to South East Asia, the Middle East, and South and Central America. 

The trip began with a flight from Charlotte, NC to the Belize City Airport.  From there, the group met up with Charlie Joe and began the five-hour journey to the Toledo District in Punta Gorda in southern Belize.  The group stayed in the Charlton Inn, just blocks away from the picturesque Caribbean Sea. 

The main goal of the group was to continue work on the Maternity Annex at the Punta Gorda Poly Clinic and Hospital.  The building process of the Maternity Annex began in January of 2010 with a group of Hampden-Sydney students. During the January trip, the students built the walls and poured the concrete for the second floor of the building.  The spring break trip picked up where the January Trip left off and began furiously mixing cement and assisting in the building of the walls, laying more than 1,500 cement blocks. 

The group quickly become skilled in the art of mixing cement by hand, and was kept busy supplying the skilled Belizean bricklayers with ample cement and blocks.  Jacob Newton ’10, a student trip leader and the most experienced member of the group was invaluable in teaching the group members the intricacies of mixing cement and general job site skills.  Dean Mladen Cvijanovic ’08 consistently kept the best interests of the group in mind, while mixing in a heavy dose of humor that kept the work site lively and productive. Drew Prehmus ’08 insured the trip would be well-documented, utilizing his superb photography and videography skills to insure the trip would be recorded forever.  The students in the group included Tommy Ribaric ’10, Matt Carter ’11, Lorcan Duffy ’11, Alex Howe ’10, Barrett Polan ’12, and Jack Ruddy ’10.  While none of the students had any particular experience working in such an environment, they all learned quickly and become useful additions to the job site by week’s end. 

During the middle of the workweek, the group ventured farther into the pristine Belizean wilderness to the village of Santa Teresa.  Although unannounced, the group was received warmly by the residents of the village and spent the day giving out school supplies, hygiene products, and clothing which were collected prior to departing for Belize. 

The trip was truly an eye opening experience for Beyond the Hill rookies, and both Dean Cvijanovic and Jacob Newton considered the trip on of the best trips they had ever been on.  The Beyond the Hill program is yet another example of the types of unique opportunities provided to Hampden-Sydney students.

Related posts:

1. H-SC Students Aid Construction in Belize
2. Construction with a Cause
3. Bortz Library Introduces Much Needed Change
4. Restover Demolished Over Break
5. The Man Behind the Digital Curtain