Day Four: Vlogging at Kilometer 6

A brief history: The school at Kilometer 6 is privately funded but serves local students tuition-free.  It began thanks to a man named Jean-Luc, a pastor at the church next door.  He saw a great need for poorer families, particularly Haitian immigrants, to receive access to a good education and free, quality healthcare.  Jean-Luc began to travel to the United States to foster support for his social projects in the DR.  Unfortunately, in November of 2001, he perished in a plane crash in New York City.

His wife, Elsa, has carried out the remainder of his initial vision.  Thanks to her, the elementary school is completed.  It is a beautiful two-story campus, with large classrooms, clean restrooms, and beautiful murals throughout.  Although many kids come from destitute backgrounds, their well-kept and healthy appearance would make you believe otherwise.  The relative privilege they appear to have is thanks to sponsors who donate a yearly amount, which covers their uniform, books, tuition, and any other required expenses.  The results are amazing.

Enjoy a couple of clips of life at Kilometer 6.   It's the next best thing to being there yourself.

Ring around the Rosie

Proof that we actually do work.

And of course, we enjoyed a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner at a lovely resort.  After a week like this, it wasn't hard to find reasons to be grateful.

Day Three: "Everything is possible."

After a third day of work at each of the sites, our muscles are tired.  The heavy lifting of concrete at Kilometer six, the shoveling at Batey 50, the sheer mental energy required to manage work at the medical clinic... (Our most recent clinic served a record 180 patients, and the team did not take lunch until all patients were seen.)

So we ended work an hour or so early to squeeze in an afternoon at the beach.  The Wednesday crowd was small, and the lighting at dusk was beautiful.  Although we were there for only an hour, it allowed us to play together, to appreciate some of the natural beauty around us, and to recharge for the remainder of the week.

After dinner and dessert, we were privy to a presentation by two local residents, Jonathan and Belkis. Jonathan (pictured in white) is a full-time employee for the Mission that is hosting us.  Born on a batey, he was one of a privileged few to be able to leave and find himself work.  His dad developed a close relationship with the mayor of the Batey, so the mayor invited him to be a security guard at his house in the city at night.  He worked nights at the security post and continued to cut cane in the batey during daytime.  During this period of round-the-clock work, he was able to slowly move his family from the batey into the city. 

We asked Jonathan what the chances are that the kids we've met this week will too find their way out.  The answer reflected a grim reality: "almost impossible."  In order to maintain residence at a batey, one must work directly for the sugar company which owns the land.  To leave the batey, a family (often with five or six kids) must relinquish their home before being able to enter the city to find a new job or residence.  And since few people can read or write on the batey, finding a job in the city is unrealistic, if not impossible.  

Jonathan's story was raw and honest.  Nevertheless, it was loaded with appreciation, hope, and humor.  He introduced to us Belkis, a young woman (pictured in blue) who was also born on a batey.  Her mother was helping her to pay for an education to become a teacher, but she had to stop paying when Belkis's little brother got sick. Fortunately, over the last two-and-a-half years, she was sponsored by Watkinson's donation to the Mission, which enabled her to resume and complete her university education.  Last year, on December 13th--her birthday--she graduated with a degree in education and has since been employed full-time as a teacher.  "I can help my mom now," she said in Spanish, "and I can pay for my younger sister's tuition.  There's nothing left over every month but I am happy."  Her short and humble speech expressed sheer gratitude for people like us who are kind enough to sponsor children like her to achieve their dreams.  "Thank God for people like you, and may God bless you," she repeated over and over.  She was praying for us--what a humbling experience. 

Jonathan closed the session by saying "Everything is possible--through God, YouTube, and Google."  Laughter erupted.  With a smirk on his face, he added, "Seriously guys, those tutorials can teach you anything."  

What better way to begin Thanksgiving than with a newfound appreciation for our education and technology?  Happy Thanksgiving to you all.  And with that--let's make the most of our last two days of service.

Day Two (Yeah)

Assignments switch on day two--and each subsequent day.  The goal is that each student and chaperone visit all three sites.  

Featured location: Batey 50

  Kamryn G.   

Photo taken by Kerry Boyle

                                                                           Peter W.

Batey 50 is located deep into a sugar cane field--over a half an hour of driving through what feels like a giant corn maize.  Upon our arrival, we took a tour of the town, visiting the local residents.  We noticed immediately that many children had an eye infection--conjunctivitis--that had spread through much of the community due to their close quarters and minimal access to resources.  Thank goodness for our extensive hygiene training!  We were able to play with the children despite this illness, reminding them in Spanish not to touch our face (no tocas, por favor!) to keep ourselves safe.  We will be visiting Batey 50 each day this week, so we will be bringing medicine to the children to help cure them as quickly as possible.  

Most important were the reactions of former travelers.  Watkinson has had a longstanding relationship with Batey 50, and so we have seen it grow and develop with outside support.  Kerry Boyle, a participant on the 2010 DR trip, was shocked to see the quality of the homes the residents now lived in.  Previously, they resided in shacks made of scrap tin, blankets, tarps, and anything else they could find.  Now, many live in furnished houses with separate rooms for eating and sleeping. Even the most primitive houses were neatly decorated, and some even contained a garden out back to help support a nutritious diet.

There is a great deal of work left to do, but at the same time, it's important to remember to be proud of all that's been done.

Kilometer 6

Photo of a classroom at Kilometer 6, where we are beginning to lay the groundwork for a jardin infantil (playground)

Picture taken by Mike DeFlaun

Traveling Med Clinic

Distributing "Comfort Dolls" to the children 

Photo taken by Toby S.

Special Tuesday Night Outing

After a long day of work, Wat and University High students enjoyed a baseball game, in which we watched the La Romana home team (Toros) beat out the Jaguars.  Please note the orange pep band in the background, whose enthusiasm and sheer decibel level would put your college pep band to shame.

Day One (Yeah)

On our first real day of work, we divided amongst ourselves to three different locations.

The med clinic

Located in a remote village deep into a sugar cane field

Building a playground

School located in Kilometer 6

Picture taken by Kerry Boyle

Building a house

Batey 50

Our special feature from today:  Natty Pinkes, future doctor.  At the med clinic, we encountered a woman who had had a cast on her arm for over two months.  It took nearly an hour to remove the cast, and upon its release, she was completely unable to twist her wrist and barely able to make a fist.  Natty created a splint from a cardboard box and duct tape that would minimize her pain until she could get to a hospital.  

We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto.

Organizing meds to an epic Britney playlist.

Sorting shoes.

Playing doctor as we prep for our first day at the med clinic.

Treating ourselves to an afternoon at the beach.  

(Photo taken by Toby Synaj.)

We're starting to experience subtle reminders that we're no longer in at home.  The cold showers, the rice and beans, the fact that we can't throw our toilet paper into the toilet.  (Where do we put it, you ask?  In a trash can.  It sounds grosser than it is.)  

It's all part of the experience.  And now, we're off to work.

We've arrived!

Hello friends and family at home!

The Wat DR service team has arrived in La Romana safely.  We flew through check-in at JFK airport in record time, savored our last American breakfast, and enjoyed a fast and comfortable flight to Santo Domingo.  As divine payback for our stateside airport good fortune, we waited in an extraordinary long and slow-moving line at customs. 

How did we pass those two and half long hours?  Practicing our new personal hygiene routine: Purell, Purell, Purell.  Playing the picnic game—you can bring an umbrella but not a raincoat, a puppy but not a dog, and a Picasso but not a Van Gogh.  (Did you figure it out?)  Doing some faux-yoga to alleviate the stress on our tired backs. 

Our incredible team stayed positive throughout, using the extra time as an opportunity to bond with one another.  We chose to laugh instead of complain.  Fortunately, from there on out we encountered no more hiccups.  Not one of our 106 checked bags was lost, and so we boarded two busses to the compound filled with music, naps, and of course—more games.

We’re here. We’re excited.  We’re well-fed and showered.  And of course, we’ll update you soon with more of our adventures.

Hasta luego,

The DR Team

Background Info

This video contains important background information regarding the history of Watkinson's collaboration with the Good Samaritan Hospital in La Romana, Dominican Republic.