A heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended my birthday party last weekend. We had a wonderful evening celebrating women and raising funds for one of my favorite causes, scholarships to students attending St. Vincent Palloti School in Unitedville Village, Belize.
My initial goal was to raise $600—enough to send one girl to high school for a year. I’m thrilled to share that, together, we raised $960—almost enough to fund two students! To fully fund two girls for a full year, we only need $240 more, and I’ve decided to keep the donation portal open for a few more days. With your help, we can make it happen!
This effort was inspired by Cindy Moldovan, a PPW member, who shared the story of her childhood school. When Cindy learned it had closed due to non-working bathrooms, she rallied friends and family to fund the repairs.
The school’s principal, impressed by her initiative, shared another challenge: many students weren’t returning for 9th grade (1st form in Belize) because their families couldn’t afford the tuition.
Education in this village is supplemented by the Catholic church. The government of Belize pays the teacher's salaries, nothing more. High school tuition costs $600 US ($1200 BZ) per year—a significant burden for farming families, where wages are about $2.50/hour US ($5 BZ). In many cases, only one child in a family is sent to high school, and it’s often a son. While we believe every child deserves an education, there is a significant disparity for young women in the village. Many girls are unable to continue their education due to financial constraints, which limits their opportunities and potential impact on their communities.
Cindy took action, raising funds here in the U.S. to sponsor students. While this isn’t part of an official nonprofit, 100% of the money goes directly to the school. Her efforts have already funded five students, with additional donations matched by the school administration. Inspired by her work, I knew I wanted to help.
I know for certain that when you educate women, the entire community benefits. For just $50* a month, supporting this cause was an easy decision for me—it’s less than one dinner out or a trip to Ulta!
If you’d like to help us reach our goal of $1200 USD to fund two girls’ high school educations, please donate below.
Want to learn more about the students and the school? I have two videos for you below.
We're $240 away from sending a 2nd young woman to school at St. Vincent Palloti School in Unitedville Village, Belize. If you'd like to help, click the button below.
Here are the students being helped by this program right now:
Thank you for being part of this life-changing effort!
Beth Caldwell
Pittsburgh Professional Women
Upcoming Event:
*I put aside $50/month and then send the tuition in August when the school does the billing. Like all schools, they expect tuition to be paid at the start of the school year.
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