A joint operation made it possible for the disabled and the elderly to have an easier path to the services in “The Church of God” in the village of Crawfish Rock on Roatan, Bay Islands
It was a rainy and quiet Sunday morning when I entered the village of Crawfish Rock, located on the northern shores of Roatan. Nobody disturbed the hens wandering with their chicks, which were taking a pit stop in the middle of the dirt road and snacking on some dropped food.
The only other activity was at “The Church of God” near the northwestern end of the village. Sunday school was being held for the village children on a balcony of the church’s management house. In front of the church, people of all ages were walking up and down a ramp where the concrete had recently dried.
Miss Dulce, who is originally from Politilly Bight but grew up in Crawfish Rock, is the current caretaker of the church. She was delighted. “I am 75 years old, and my legs are not what they used to be.” Her smile grew even bigger as she let her walking stick hit the concrete and walked up to the church’s main entrance.
You don’t have to be in a wheelchair to enjoy the new ramp. Many elderly members of the community struggle with stairs.
A few weeks ago, plans were in place for the Rotary Club of Roatan Utila Guanaja (RUG) to build the ramp. Mike Szuch, the Club Project Service Chair, organizes club-contributed projects. This time, the focus was on providing materials and organizing manpower. Mike is pleased with the work that has been done on this project by the Community Volunteer Core (CVC).
“It is important that we have community involvement when the club does projects; this helps build community ownership and pride in what is being done,” explains Mike.
The charity organization “Five Island Sisters,” which has members from the USA and Canada, supports the project. The women craft jewelry and sell it at craft markets, fairs, and churches, with the proceeds going to charity.
“Our goal is to make the beautiful island of Roatan a better place for the children. We want to improve their education and provide materials they otherwise might not have. But when the church’s caretaker has limited mobility and uses a walker, we thought it would be a great help to have a ramp to make the church more accessible for everyone,” says Heidi Blake Maly, a representative for the organization.
Larry Ebanks, a local village constructor and the head of the Community Volunteer Core, built the ramp with his brother-in-law, Austin Connor, and others. “We spent one and a half days creating this path for the disabled,” Larry says proudly.
The church, founded by Pastor Esau R. Brooks (1933-2015), usually has an average of 30 participants every Sunday, starting at 10:45 a.m. Larry tells us that now and then, people from other places join in our services here.
