Cogitator Dec 19, 2012

VISITING ROTARIANS

Steven Certa, from Weymouth, MA, joined us for lunch.  He was also our guest speaker today. 

BIRTHDAYS/ANNIVERSARIES

Warm happy birthday wishes from the club go this week to Janet Essex, on December 23^rd. 

50^TH ANNIVERSARY GALA

Bill TenEyck reminded us, while we’re in the season of family gatherings and list-making, to let everyone know about our 50^th anniversary event on Saturday, March 30^th, 2013.  Think about the friends and family you’d like to have at your table for our big night!

HAPPY BUCKS

-Vin Meola gave a congratulations buck for Bonnie Sauer’s fine work with this year’s Citrus Drive, and he sent her good wishes hoping her back is OK.

-Janet Essex gave a ‘happy birthday’ buck.

-Chuck Sauer and President Ken Colaluca wished Janet happy birthday as well. 

-Bill TenEyck was happy that daughter Schuyler earned her driving permit last week. 

-Stan Reuter was thrilled to spend time recently with his 4-month-old grandson, Orson.  He added that Orson was able to send his grandpa a thank you…from his own e-mail account! 

CITRUS PICK-UP DAY PHOTOS (Saturday, December 8th, Greene Industries)

SPEAKER/PROGRAM

Steve Certa, Weymouth Rotarian and ‘Safe Passage’ Volunteer

 “Safe Passage empowers the poorest, at-risk children of families working in the community of the Guatemala City Garbage Dump, by creating opportunities and fostering dignity through the power of education.”-- http://www.safepassage.org/

Weymouth Rotarian Steve Certa served as president of his club during the 2003-2004 Rotary year.  The following year, he was instrumental in helping Weymouth Rotary find an International Service project in which they could band together.  He didn’t want to simply ‘send a check’ somewhere.  He wanted a hands-on operation.  This led him, and his club, to lending a hand in with Safe Passage.

Safe Passage was founded by Hanley Denning, a teacher who in August of 1997 traveled to Guatemala for a Spanish-immersion program.  She was trying to improve her language skills for a teaching job back in North Carolina.  Through Hanley’s volunteer work she would discover a terrible secret. 

Three generations of Guatemalans live hand to mouth, struggling for existence, at a landfill, a dump, near Guatemala City.  In the ‘caste system’ of Guatemala, these are the have-nots, or as Steve put it, the ‘unknowns’ who simply don’t exist on any census tract.     

Hanley would never return to North Carolina or the States.  In 2007, she was tragically killed in a car accident near the city of Antigua, Guatemala.  However, in less than a decade Hanley succeeded in getting Safe Passage on a wonderfully self-sustaining path. 

To build a school, Hanley and Safe Passage needed to literally move people off of a section of the dump.  With help from the dump’s owner, they built an elementary school.  In October of 2012, the ‘escuelita’ held its first-ever graduation ceremony. 

Steve told us a success story, that of ‘Luis,’ the first student to complete ten years in the Safe Passage system and who now works at a restaurant in Guatemala City.  Luis’ children will soon attend Safe Passage’s escuelita. 

Proper nutrition of children is a significant challenge for Safe Passage’s volunteers.  Their commitment to the school kids is at least one good meal per day.  Yet, oftentimes they aren’t even sure from where their food will come. 

On top of securing good food, a secondary challenge of proper sanitation was obvious.  Today, with the help of Weymouth Rotary and District 7950, a solar powered hot water tank and commercial dishwasher keep plates, bowls, and utensils clean and safe for eating.  Also, another grant was recently awarded for two vans which will provide student transportation. 

Once a week, each family helped by Safe Passage receives a good sized box of food.  They are also provided a hot shower each week. 

Steve noted that many Rotarians have elected to sponsor a child for an entire year.  Only $200 per month, $2,400 per year, helps a child from the dump area attend school and receive nutritional and health assistance from Safe Passage.