By Dom Williams | Founder and Director
2017 was a fantastic year in Honduras, despite the rollover affect from the Brexit vote devaluing Sterling in 2016 and causing us to tighten our belts for the year.
We celebrated our ten year anniversary with the Phoenix College in 2017, a fantastic achievement for all the students and our local teachers. Since 2007 seventy-nine students have graduated secondary school and forty-one have graduated from college since 2010. All our graduates now have full-time jobs in rural sustainable development.
The year started with the construction of several basic classrooms as we had to move the school’s venue due to increased numbers of students. We also initiated a satellite school in another rural community to allow students who have to walk great distance to be able to continue to study secondary school. School materials, teachers’ educational tools, exam papers for the year were provided so our six local teachers and three assistant teachers could give the best classes they could. Our assistant teachers, who teach in the primary schools as well, are ex-students of the college who we also help through their University studies too.
This year we provided transport for those students who have to walk long distances each day. Adult literacy classes continued through the year bringing the total to ninety-one adults graduating primary school in the past ten years. Celebrations included Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Day of the Child and Student and of course the final Graduations. The students were also very much involved in the sustainable plans, including Plan Café, doubling the size of the plantation. We invested in musical instruments for the first time this year and our students were the talk of the town for Independence Day in September. The end of the year was topped off with a fantastic Christmas Party for the teachers to show our gratitude for their fantastic work during the year. We spent almost $30,000 this year on the projects.
Looking ahead to 2018 we plan to finish the construction of the classrooms in the two schools and increase the number of assistant teachers. We are also expecting an increased number of students across all grades as the school gains respect and fame, especially with the local NGO’s who employ our graduates, knowing that their hands-on experience gained throughout the college years is second to none.
Your donations this year have gone a very long way to helping us to achieve our goals in 2017 and our vision for 2018 is even brighter. Together with your continued donations we can take the projects even higher.
All of us at Fly The Phoenix wish you the Happiest of Holidays this year and all the best for 2018.
Cheers
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