June, 2021

Greetings from the beautiful Island of Roatan, where the sun shines bright and the east winds blow, the weather is warm and the ocean waves roll. While it appears that all is well, we continue to take caution moving into the new norm. During the past three weeks, vaccines have been administered and while some seniors and people in tourism have had their first dose, most health care workers have received both.

The month of May began with a couple of first time events. Cattleya organization (CEDICA) had the first time privilege/opportunity to be sponsored by a “Beauty Pageant Event”, which also was the first time to be held in the Bay Islands. “Miss Teen Universe”, Miss Ana Cordova, was the recipient of a full college scholarship and during her reign will be involved with CEDICA with projects and activities. Pageant organizers and Miss Ana Cordova came to meet and greet teachers. Their visit also brought a Donation of Lps.18,000.00 in cash and Lps.5000.00 to be delivered in classroom supplies and education materials.

The annual Mother’s Day Program this year was different. Mothers took turns to stop in with their kids to take pictures and receive the crafts that the children had created that week. While we were not all able to gather together, the ability to still honor our mothers and create a memorable event was appreciated by all.

We had a visit from special guests, Kaylene and Doug Waltz, Founders of the 501(c3) nonprofit, The Make it Count Foundation. They enjoyed learning more about our organization and meeting our community of learners. Please visit their website: cattleya.themakeitcountfoundation.org to see how they facilitate support for our school through their organization. It is truly a blessing to be able to share CEDICA with all of you through their platform. We are so grateful!

A few other memorable events in May include a meeting with President of the board, Mr. Jorge Caffoll, to evaluate progress and assess needs. We decided a new phone was urgent and a donation was received the following day. Praises! Additionally, an Invitation was received to visit one of the prestigious local TV networks “Teledisa Insular”. This offered an opportunity to broadcast live in both English and Spanish to share the news that our school is up and running. While we are currently operating at three days/week, continued support will allow us to prepare for full time operation and increased enrollment.

We are most grateful to those who support our program for families of children with disabilities. We ask you to help share the news with those you know. Our wish list is available for anyone who would like to help and we are open to professionals in the field of special education who would be willing to offer workshops and training for teachers and parents.

Please contact us with any questions or inquiries. We’d love to talk with you!

email: cattleyaroatan@gmail.com
www.cattleyaroatan.org
Donations greatly appreciated!: www.cattleya.themakeitcountfoundation.org/

Sincerely,
Connie Silvestri, Founding Member “Association CATTLEYA”
Ph: 9949-9114