On Oct. 5, the Statendam made a call at Corinto, Nicaragua, where our adopted school, Ruben Dario, is located. During past port calls here we have invited groups of children and teachers from the school over for lunch a few times before. This past May, we also handed over a large number of donations such as curtains, folding chairs, books and sports equipment from the ship. Captain Albert Schonderbeek and Hotel Director Bert Van Mackelenbergh visited the school at that time and discovered that the school was in a state of disrepair.
They decided to see if we could do something more to improve the school facilities for the students and teachers. Since our last call in May we have been busy collecting cash donations, school supplies and clothes donations from both guests and crew members. As stated in the previous blog post, funds were collected from guests, Statendam crew and Holland America Line, to purchase more school supplies, new basketball hoops for the school yard (as the old basketball hoop was falling to pieces), basketballs and footballs, paint, fans and new white boards just to mention a few things.
When the Statendam returned to Corinto on Oct. 5, a group of 30 volunteers from the Statendam crew had signed up to come help paint the school in addition to professionals like our carpenters, upholsterers and sailors. As soon as the ship was cleared we rolled over a number of trolleys loaded with donations, tools and supplies through the streets of Corinto to the school where we were welcomed by the students and teachers. We got to work right away with paint rollers and brushes on the school yard and classroom walls. The carpenters and upholsterers installed curtain rails, hung the donated curtains, repaired a dangerously loose railing with quick dry cement and put together the new basketball hoops in the school yard. They also installed a new sign for the school that was made on board by our talented crew. The roof of the school needed to be repaired as well so Captain Albert purchased new roof plates from a local store.
A truly great and unforgettable day was had by all who participated. We managed to finish painting two classrooms and all the walls that surround the school yard and there was also time to try out the new basketball hoops with the kids – probably the favorite part of the day for us all. It really was a joy and a privilege for all of us to see how happy these new additions to the school yard made the children at the school. There certainly is truth to the old saying “Giving is receiving.”
Hanna Eklof is Statendam’s human resources manager.