A Rotary  School Project

Escuela  Buena Esperanza (Good Hope School) Bocas del Toro, Panama is very grateful for the supplies that the

Rotary e Club Canada One Peace Initiative recently donated.

The school of 3 rooms is in a village of about 200 people. There are no roads, electricity or internet. Access is by boat only – mostly dug-out canoes which are hand paddled.

The government does send some pens and paper, but the Rotary donation of teaching aids and additional supplies was greatly appreciated.

Classes stop at grade six and very few children are able to travel to the next grades. The middle school is 1 hour by boat and fuel is expensive.

Neighbouring expats are hoping to raise the $1,500/year it would take to operate a boat for students.

Shopping for the supplies involved a boat ride to town to the one and only store that had school supplies. It was like a very basic dollar store and what they offered was limited. The staff were  helpful and the proprietor generously  contributed two packages of paper.

Our shopping was very well received and will go a long ways to help Roberto teach his students.

The kids love to sing and they proudly sang the Panamanian National Anthem for us.

Lots of smiling faces.

Thanks to Rotary e Club Canada One, and all those who helped make it work :

Johanne, Roberto(the teacher), President Lynne and Nishchint Bajaj

joyful travellers