3. Some clarifications

This blog has been created to redress insinuations, allegations, misinterpretations, and falsehoods concerning Voyageur Foundation and the Jarman family. It also tries to show how the media can manipulate information to foster it own view of a situation and act as judge and jury instead of reporting the facts as it should.

Article “Does Voyageur family own school?” by Alison Macgregor The Montreal Gazette, May 12, 2011

In this article Miss Macgregor wrote “The family that runs Voyageur Foundation – a Costa Rican organization that refused to return $65 million in investments, has managed to pull together enough money to build and staff a private Christian elementary school and campus.”

Here are the facts – Voyageur Foundation is not an investment company and has not refused to return funds. It is diligently working for its members to help them recover assets.

Two founders of Voyageur started Tree of Life International School in 2007 with school teacher Maria del Mar Segovia, and two other parents.

Miss Macgregor wrote “A school that family members claim not to own…”

Here are the facts – The school is owned by Maria del Mar Segovia, Angela Jarman and Christian White. The school was financed by bank loans and loans from family in Canada.

Miss Macgregor wrote “The school is located in the upscale Santa Ana neighborhood of San Jose…”

Here are the facts – The school is located opposite a horse field, down the road from a mechanics shop, next to low-budget housing on one side, and a mid-rent condo on the other.

Miss Macgregor wrote “Christian White Hernandez claimed that his wife, Angela Jarman, did not work at the school.”

Here are the facts – Angela Jarman frequently volunteers at the school.

Miss Macgregor wrote “Tree of Life’s students enjoy a swimming pool, playing field, gardens, library, a Mandarin language laboratory and a Bible Club. Basketball and tennis courts are under construction.”

Here are the facts – The Tree of Life campus was formerly a single-family dwelling that was renovated to hold 6 classrooms plus a small multi-purpose class room that holds the library and gives space for yoga and drama classes. The Mandarin laboratory is a roofed concrete area that serves for basketball and mini-tennis as well. This same space is where children eat lunch and have their afternoon clubs.