Coming to you LIVE, from Week Five

This past weekend we joined over 1000 Belizeans in the annual Belize City Cancer Walk. We were up at 3:15am to get to the start line at 5!!! The walk starts so early here in order to beat the intense heat of the afternoon. In the pitch black, we had a dance warm up with bumpin tunes followed by a morning prayer to kick start the walk! We are proud to report that the 10 mile walk took this crew 2.5 hours! It was incredible to see so many members of the community come out to support an amazing cause - the energy was truly contagious! This week Mo and Avery taught depression and suicide as well as healthy sexual relationships at Sadie Vernon High School. Highlights included a balloon juggling activity that demonstrates how depression can affect all aspects of one's life, as well as the fan-favourite "condom relay". At the YWCA, we also taught healthy sexual relationships. This was very interesting to see how so many of the girls had a negative perception of contraceptive methods, and it sparked some good discussions. We also helped some of the students with learning exceptionalities prepare for their English exams next week. Laura and Kieran had another amazing week at Gateway and Maud Williams. They taught mental health, sexual health, and decision making & gang violence at Maud Williams. One of their favourite parts was having an intense game of mental health jeopardy that the students were very into. It was challenging to structure a lesson on gang violence, as many of the students live in gang-affiliated areas. The lesson primarily focused on decision making and goal setting to encourage students to be successful with their future aspirations. At Gateway they had another fun week in the intimate classroom setting. They have gotten to know the students a lot better and love chatting with them at break. A highlight of the week was a self esteem activity in which the students practiced complimenting both themselves and others based on the colour of skittle they picked. Some of the students are looking forward to their upcoming graduation, and we are exciting for them to take the next step in their future! We wrapped up our week on a hilarious note in which "spiritual upliftment" at the YWCA turned into twerk lessons and dance-offs. We quickly learned that we have a lot of practicing to do, and are still in awe of the girls' talents! It was a great bonding experience that allowed the girls to become more comfortable with all four of us. We can't believe we only have one week left - we have become so attached to all the wonderful people we have met here. Sending nothing but love and smiles to our friends and family back home, and here's to a great final week! Love, Your secondary soul mates (Mo, Laura, Avery & Kieran)