PINES Donates Computers to School
Early in the year 2000, the Caye Caulker Roman Catholic School received its first computer. It was used, but would provide the first contact most of the children had ever had with one. Before the computer could be placed in a secure location at the school and set up, thieves from the mainland roamed out to this remote island 25 miles off the coast of Belize and stole it.
Caye Caulker Roman Catholic School is the only school on the island. Nearly all children living on Caye Caulker attend through the sixth grade. Those who wish to go to high school must take an hour boat boat ride each day to the nearest high school on a more populated island.
When company officers Steve Malone and Ron Seibold learned about the computer theft, they made a decision to donate three brand new computers, a printer and $1600 worth of software to the school. While the new machines were in route to Caye Caulker, the island was hit by a devastating hurricane. The school lost its roof, and many of the children and their families became homeless.
Steve and Ron checked to make sure that the computers were safe. They arranged for the shipping company to hold them in a warehouse in Florida until the school could be reopened. Pines then became the largest single financial contributor to the disaster relief effort on Caye Caulker.
During their annual trip to Caye Caulker this past winter of 2002, Ron and Steve were pleased to find that the computers had been set up in a secure room in the refurbished school. They are used everyday by the students. Although many of the children’s homes are still in the process of being reconstructed, life on the island is slowly getting back to normal.
Caye Caulker has been a charitable project for Pines International since Ron and Steve first visited there in 1992. The company has invested in the island and has provided many jobs for local citizens. During the past ten years, Pines has seen the economic and social conditions of the island greatly improve. We are proud of our contribution to that improvement.
