What if you only had an Eighth Grade education? You didn’t know anything about science or math, your reading lagged behind, and you didn’t speak any English?
In Belize, a country on the northeastern coast of Central America, 55% of the youth drop out of school before reaching High School. The problem isn’t desire or the ability to learn; it’s the ability to pay! The country’s commitment to education shrunk as the population grew. The result was a lack of High Schools- and a lack of a secondary school education. This has helped to create some ugly statistics for the people of Belize:
High levels of unemployment, especially in single-parent families with mothers as the sole provider, exacerbate the problem.
Great… But What’s that got to Do with Us?
Jesus said,
Matthew 25:35-36
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ NIV
What good would our church be if we saw suffering anywhere in the world and didn’t do anything about it?
The United Methodist Church acts to fight poverty and suffering. Though our “Shared Ministry” giving, the United Methodist Church is able to support programs that alleviate real-world problems.
Help Jesus…
The United Methodist Church has taken on the project of building a High School in the city of Belopan, which is the capitol of Belize. When construction is completed next year, Belmopan Methodist High School will provide quality education to over 300 students. Over 300 lives will be changed, because United Methodists acted!
Here’s the testimony of one of those changed lives…
“I was raised in an economically poor family, but perhaps rich in desires for educational development. My parents came to Belize from Guatemala looking for better opportunities and my mom desired for us [the family] to learn English. They got nationalized as Belizeans and worked on our education.
When I finished primary school in 2009, even though I wanted to, I couldn’t make it to high school because my parents could not afford it. But, on my last job, I met Mrs. Rose Binfield who promised to sponsor my education. Later, I was accepted at the Belmopan Methodist High School. I am so thankful to God for this school and for everyone that has made this opportunity possible for me.”
Click Here to learn more…
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For more information on what are Shared Ministry dollars are currently doing, Click Here.
