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茲華湯尼荷的幼稚園學生們享受著他們的新教室，裡面有扶輪基金會配合獎助金所提供的桌子、椅子、以及學習用品。從左邊起的成人分別為卡皮歐老師、扶輪社員麗莎．馬丁、以及學校創辦人及董事赫南德茲。Netzahualcoyotl's kindergarten students enjoy their new classroom, furnished with tables, chairs, and learning supplies provided by a Rotary Foundation Matching Grant. Adults from left are teacher Maria Del Carmen Cruz Cuapio, Rotarian Lisa Martin, and school founder and director Marina Sanchez Hernandez. |
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四年前墨西哥茲華湯尼荷(Zihuatanejo)的聶紗華柯約陀(Netzabhualcoyotl)原住民學校只有8間木條和油紙所構成的教室，環繞著一個泥土操場。學校有225個學童，他們因為不會講西班牙語，而且非常窮，而無法就讀當地的公立學校。
Four years ago, Netzahualcoyotl Indigenous School in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, consisted of eight stick-and-tar-paper classrooms surrounding a dirt courtyard. The school served 225 children who, because of their inability to speak Spanish and extreme poverty, were prevented from enrolling in local public schools.
今天，由於政府、墨西哥及美國扶輪社員、以及其他方面的協助，這所學校已經有10間堅固的水泥教室、一個可容納30位赤貧學生的臨時宿舍、一個行政管理辦公室、以及其他設施。再者，它已經正式登記為公立學校，現在稱為聶沙華柯約陀小學，有320個來自四個原住民族群的學童。
Today, thanks to assistance from the government, Mexican and U.S. Rotarians, and other sources, the school comprises 10 sturdy cement classrooms, a temporary dormitory for 30 extremely poor students, an administrative office, and other facilities. Moreover, it is officially registered as a public school - now called Netzahualcoyotl Primary School (Escuela Primaria Federal Bilingüe) - and instructs 320 children from four indigenous groups.
是什麼促成這所學校的煥然一新？
What helped spark the school's transformation?
1999年美國麻州洛克波特(Rockport)扶輪社的麗莎．馬丁(Lisa Martin)在瑜珈靜修期間訪問了茲華湯尼荷(Zihuatanejo)。一年後她帶著所屬扶輪社400美元的捐款回到那裡。由於馬丁小姐對兒童教育及福利特別感興趣，她就在2002年發起了一個23,926美元的扶輪基金會配合獎助金計畫，來資助該校的午餐計畫、基本設備及用品、以及校舍修繕。這項行動受到麻州葛洛切斯特(Gloucester)、梅洛斯(Melrose)、北安多佛(North Andover)、洛克波特(Ro-ckport)、及索古斯(Saugus)；加州阿巴尼(Albany)及蓋柏維爾(Garberville)；以及密西根州史徒吉斯(Sturgis)；還有茲華湯尼荷等扶輪社的支持。
In 1999, Lisa Martin, of the Rotary Club of Rockport, Massachusetts, USA, discovered the special school while visiting Zihuatanejo during a yoga retreat. She returned a year later with a US$400 donation for the school from her club. Martin's interest in the children's education and welfare helped launch a US$23,926 Rotary Foundation Matching Grant project in 2002 to fund a lunch program, basic equipment and supplies, and repairs for the school. The effort is supported by the U.S. Rotary clubs of Gloucester, Melrose, North Andover, Rockport, and Saugus, Massachusetts; Albany and Garberville, California; and Sturgis, Michigan; as well as the Rotary Club of Zihuatanejo.
馬丁小姐目前在現場擔任計畫的義工獎助金管理員，她與茲華湯尼荷扶輪社密切合作，準備服務6個月。她說：「原本害羞的小孩子現在正轉變為樂觀進取的學生，他們已經是這個可愛、能提供支持的社區的一份子。從最小的孩子到最年長的老祖母，都真誠且由衷地感激扶輪及其他單位的捐獻，協助這所學校充皆發揮任務，來提供教育及未來經濟機會給原住民社區。」
"The shy children are blossoming into eager students who are now part of a loving, supportive community," says Martin, who is serving on-site for six months as volunteer grant administrator for the project, working closely with the Zihuatanejo club. "There is sincere, heartfelt gratitude from the smallest child to the oldest grandmother for the contributions Rotary and others are making to help this school prosper in its mission to provide education and future economic opportunity to the indigenous community."