Ryan Hagedorn, an honors civil engineering student, went to Belize last summer with a mission: partner with the people of Dangriga to create new resources for their community. Below, Ryan describes how his team used their engineering know-how to build a water fountain and gazebo for children at Christ the King elementary school.
Hello everybody,
I am a little sad to that I write this from my home back in the States. I had limited internet access while in Belize, so I will do my best to sum up my experience now.
Students with the water spigot they built in Belize. (L to R: Megan Peters, Cary Beth Lipscomb, Chase Henrichs, Ryan Hagedorn, Courtney Hill and Chris Martindale)
Our group of about thirty students participated in a community development program with an organization called Peacework in Dangriga, Belize. Through local connections, each group (engineering, agriculture and business) worked with community members on projects requested by the local people. We were able to fill local wants and needs while each putting our own majors to practical, real-world use. With the engineering team, I was able to participate in several rewarding projects.
First, our team met with a principal of a local elementary school called Christ the King. Ms. Young was in need of a new water fountain that her students could fill bottles and large containers but had experienced trouble with vandalism in the past. She described what she had in mind and we went to work. In just over a day, we were able to lay a short water line ending with a small spigot. Around the water spigot we built a box to protect the device and hopefully deter any vandalism. All the kids were very interested in the work and eager to help us out.
Our other larger project was constructing a gazebo/outdoor classroom for a Dangriga high school. This was quite the undertaking. Working with a local construction expert and the school’s shop teacher, we came very close to finishing the project. It was a lot of hard work and everyone was really proud of the progress we made, but of course it is somewhat disappointing not getting to see the finished product. It was still an awesome project that gave many of us great hands-on experience.
Now onto some fun stuff! Local cuisine: can anyone say chicken, rice and beans? Oh, and Chinese food, lots of it. Seems strange, but that was about the only options we had. Although I was only abroad for three weeks, I don’t think I have every appreciated a barbeque sandwich and those free refills as much as when I returned. There are also things I will miss though. Breakfast this morning just wasn’t quite the same without some fresh pineapple and fresh mango juice. Of course, our trip was not all work. Belize is an incredibly diverse country. Dangriga sits on the coast and has a very Caribbean feel. As do the small islands out along the reef, which by the way are about the closest thing to paradise I have ever experienced. I don’t think there is much that can beat lying in a hammock under palm trees on an island that can be walked completely around in about five minutes. But then traveling inland you feel that you are in the heart of Central America. Magnificent Mayan ruins in the middle of the jungle are really an unbelievable sight.
So I hope I have done my best to give you an idea of my time in Belize. There is absolutely no way to capture the experience in a short post but hopefully this was a small taste. It was a life changing experience that I would highly recommend to anyone interested. You will make some really special friendships and also get to put your degree to good use. I wouldn’t trade my time in Belize for anything and I am really looking forward to seeing where this next year takes me!