Jitterbugging for Jesus

In case you missed it, or if you’re one of the many new subscribers to Jitterbugging For Jesus, I recently posted about my fund-raiser to help a Belizean girl who is special to me to advance to high school.

High school is not mandatory in Belize and there is no free public education here.

High School is expensive for a young lady like Stephanie who does not come from a well-to-do family.Go here to see that post I wrote at GoFundMe about her relationship to me and about her being accepted to St. Ignatius High School, along with an update.

Stephanie with Mr. Mo, who will be her math teacher in her first year of high school beginning August 28.

I’m trying to raise at least US$800 ($1600 Belize dollars) for Stephanie’s first year of school.

High school here is like high school in the USA in only one regard: it takes four years to get a diploma. So understand that the US$800 ($1,600 BZ) I’m trying to raise now is the amount I estimate will be needed for her FIRST year of school only.

That includes first-year tuition which is US$481.50. (I’ll use US dollars from here on in this post.)

The local mayor paid US$150 from a fund for needy families on registration day, and I made a payment from the GoFundMe money for the other $137.50 that was due at that time for a deposit.

The balance of $194 can be made in monthly payments of any amount, interest-free, until October, when the full amount for the year is due.

In addition to the $137 for a tuition payment, I’ve also spent almost $50 of the GoFund money to buy material for the five school uniforms she’ll need at the Catholic St. Ignatius High School. Her mom, who is getting to be quite a good seamstress after a couple of years of lessons, will make the uniforms.

When the time comes, I’ll be paying the fees and misc. costs that add up to what I am estimating is the $800 for the first full school year.

Those fees and costs include books and a number of workbooks, supplies, a new backpack, extra costs for field trips and a school shirt or two for field trips and school participation in parades and so forth.

It’s like sending a kid to college in the US: With an extra fee here and an extra cost there, pretty soon you’re talking real money for stuff other than tuition and books.

Any funds raised over the $800, or any of the $800 I don’t spend this year, will go to a credit union savings account her mom has opened to make interest on your donations.

I used US$135 of some of the GoFundMe money you folks donated to make a deposit that was due on registration day. This is the receipt for that BZ$275 amount.

This is the receipt for almost US$50 they gave me for material for the uniforms I bought for Steph’s uniforms. (Some of the businesses in BZ are, shall we say, informal about receipts. I noted on here that it’s for uniform fabric.)

Some of the terms of the St. Ignatius High School “contract” students sign with the Catholic school.

Note the person responsible for all payments. With or without donations, I’m determined to get Steph educated as much as possible, as well as her brother Felix and my daughter Paulita McKay.

Miss Belize, Paulita McKay, who moved in fast on a boy at her sister’s graduation from Standard VI, the equivalent of 8th grade. Paulita is as excited about going to preschool as Stephanie is about high school!

Again, any amounts over the $800 goal are welcomed and will be put in savings for future years.

Your donations for Stephanie are much appreciated by me and more so by her: I guarantee you she is going to take advantage of this opportunity for at least a high school diploma.

Go to this GoFundMe link to donate:
GoFundMe