BelizeKids Blog

– The following is from Kyoko’s Journal. It’s long, it’s pretty detailed, and if you like, it is a perfect ‘User’s Guide’ on how to go through the steps in Belize or anywhere else to help out a child in need. — Adair

Journal - March 2008
We are planning a production in Belize. We’ll be the Mexico Crew supporting British and American teams producing a recruitment ad series for the British Military. I decide to do some research on line and discover a woman named Satoko. I send her an email to say hello. She responds and we share many things in common. It is the beginning of an amazing friendship.

Journal - May 2008
Depart Cancun for Belize City and then Sein Bight with crew aboard Winnebago Motor Home. Adair has gone ahead with his Key Electric and best friend Raul Marquez with lights, Grip, Electric and Makeup Trailer.

In the ‘Winnie’ I have Adair’s Crew of PA’s & Grip Staff: Carolina Bellavista (Makeup/Wardrobe), Yolanda Gonzalez (PA), Jose (Best Boy) and Maytee Contreras (3rd AC) on board. It is a long drive to the Border. Crossing takes forever. But that’s nothing compared to the drive in Belize we’re about to discover. We drive 12 hours down dusty red dirt roads. The creaky wooden bridge is so narrow the camper barely fits. Needless to say the crew is restless, the trip seems to take forever. The road is so rough we can barely hold a conversation. The heat is stunning. But everyone is excited. This is an incredible undertaking.

Journal - May 12th, 2008
We’ll be here in Seine Bight until the 16th. Then to Belmopan on the 17th and Belize City from the 18th - 19th. It is a challenging production. Special Effects to replicate a hurricane on the beach, then in town, then on a country road with a ’shipwrecked’ yacht. Everyone is running like mad, all the time.

We are in Sein Bight and there are literally armies of children watching us stage this hurricane and disaster relief. The British Army wants to recruit women to become non-fighting soldiers: radio operators, drivers, nurses. It is pretty noble for an army to hire people who want to help instead of kill.

Art Department creates a village that looks freshly devastated. We discover that it really isn’t different from the way it normally looks. And we meet a little boy, Paul. I do a little investigation. He lives pretty much on the beach. The other boys pick on him; steal his food. Still, Little Paul is full of love. His mother offers him to Adair, who loses consciousness for a few hours in shock. We decide to do something to help him out. The real adventure begins, now.

Journal 16 May 2008
Call Satoko and ask for help. She agrees. We will meet in Belize City.

Journal 17 May 2008
Dinner with Satoko. She sets up a plan of action for us to follow. Tricky. We ask if she will introduce Aki to us, a teacher and JICA volunteer at Stella Maris School in Belize City.

Journal 18 May 2008
Satoko and Aki come to see us working on Albert Street in Belize City. It’s pretty wild with military trucks forging through water, actors posing as refugees milling around, torrents of water from the Special Effects Crew.

Satoko leaves for Corozal Town to go back to her classroom. We dine with Aki and fine-tune Satoko’s plan including the steps suggested by Aki.

Journal 19 May 2008
We are shooting on the Military Base in Ladyville outside Belize City. Giant trucks. Helicopters. Relief storage warehouse full of sacks of rice and grains. Water in plastic tetrabricks. All invented for the shoot. Adair is sorting electrical differences between British voltages and the rest of the Americas. Very, very hot, very rushed. We, the Mexico Crew are all released except Adair who goes off into the jungle for a set up in a cave. I will stay on in Belize City and work on Paul with Ministry of Education.

Journal 20 May 2008
I meet with Ms. Neal from the Ministry of Education’s NARCIE National Resource Center for Inclusive Education). She is very professional, very polished. Little Paul can go to school but we first have to find a home for him. I am given a Registration Form. Belize is divided into regions, the Dangriga District encompasses Paul’s home of Seine Bight. Enter Paula Vera, Social Worker. She is responsible for all the abused and neglected children of the area.

I try to reach her. Adair tries to reach her. No luck. I discover a place called Liberty House and make an appointment to visit them.

Journal 21 May 2008
Synergy. Talking with our local ‘Fixer’ on the shoot, Franz, I discover he know’s Paula. They are fast friends. Miracle. We go shopping together to buy clothes for Little Paul. Wonderful to have some hope about this now.

We go to visit Delfina at Liberty House. Beautiful and idealistic facility. But they can’t help. They only accept kids to 9 years of age and Paul is 10.

The shoot is a success. All singing and dancing as the British Crew say. We have a wrap party. We ask for money to help Paul and US$ 1250 appears as if magic. The production company, Shoot USA gives us a hotel for an extra day as a courtesy. Micheal Geogehan, Director, is very happy about Little Paul. Everyone is hoping for a miracle.

Journal 22 May 2008
Off to Dangriga to visit Paula Vera. Racing through this tiny beachside town to find her. She has just left to do Hurricane Emergency Training. Major discouragement, but we decide to track through town in the car to find her. Franz is on his bike doing the same. And Franz ‘Badda boom, Badda Bing’ finds here. We stay at his Aunt Ruth’s Bed and Breakfast and meet Paula in the evening. Paula says she’ll come to Seine Bight to do the evaluation.

Journal 23 May 2008
We drive to Seine Bight with Paula and Franz (such great people!). It is a festival day and all the kids are outside the school in a big fair. Paul comes with us to a restaurant with Paula to do the evaluation. Paul’s mother agrees with Paula Vera on finding Paul a proper home. It is a very sad moment. But Paula pushes ahead.

Liberty House declines to accept Paul on grounds of handicap and age. Very disappointing to everyone. Paula pushes on, suggesting a different orphanage in Belmopan on a hilltop. We visit. Animals, wonderful wild children. Legions of bicycles. It looks very hopeful.

We take a rest, sort equipment, sleep a little.

Journal 25 May 2008
Paula interviews Paul’s mother and stepfather. They agree, in fact, urge Paula to send him to an orphanage as they cannot care for him. Paula makes arrangements with ‘King’s Children’s Home in Belmopan.

We are pleased, convinced all has gone well and start the long drive back to Cancun loaded with gear and an overpacked make up trailer.

Trip Number Two

Journal 1 June 2008
More in a bit!

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