Today was our first full workday! Jenna and Bella will tell you a bit about their days at Batey Papita (construction) and Batey Magdalena (medical clinic).
Batey Papita by Jenna L.
Today on Batey Papita,
our half of the team arrived at the batey to find many more completed houses
than were there last year. Different teams over the last year had finished the
other half of the hurricane-proof house that we started last year and had built
an entire two-family house. When we
arrived, we got right to work on filling in the sub-floor of the newest house.
There were two piles of dirt that needed to be moved from the yard into the house.
We worked for three hours before lunch and were successful in filling in the
sub-floor of the entire back room. We took a break for lunch at noon and then
got right back to work; this time, our focus shifted to painting. We started by
smoothing out the concrete walls with stones, and then we painted the inside
walls yellow and the doors and windows white. We noticed that many of the
Dominican workers that were helping with construction did not have proper shoes
or shoes at all, so we asked for their shoe sizes. Tomorrow, we will bring them
shoes to have for the rest of this week and beyond. We got back to Casa
Pastoral around 3pm, tired and covered in dirt and paint. We are excited to go
back tomorrow to see the Dominican friends we have made and to continue our
construction.
Jenna & Cora: Three Time's a Charm
Batey Papita - Construction Site
Construction Team
(with a strong fanny pack contingent)
Medical Clinic - by Bella C.
Today
I worked in the medical clinic in Batey Magdalena. I worked in the pharmacy, as
my teammates took blood pressures and pulses, distributed shoes and glasses, and
organized the flow of traffic. In the
pharmacy, we would receive a prescription with a list of medicine. We ensured
that each person received the prescribed medicines as well as a one-month
supply of vitamins. Every family left with a food bag and hygiene kit, and each
person also received a pair of shoes. One particular moment that stood out to
me today was a young girl whose eye was swollen shut. She was talking with one
the doctors, and I came over with a teddy bear. She smiled, and for the rest of
the afternoons, she clung to the bear. It reminded me of how lucky and
privileged we are. This teddy bear made this girl’s day. Another man came to the clinic with his leg
wrapped up in bandages. I saw the wounds
and thought they looked very fresh. I later found out that the injuries were a
result of a motorbike accident two years ago. This was yet again another reminder
of how I overlook how lucky I am. I have access to medical care whereas these
people on see a doctor once every six months. Today was incredible and
something I will never forget.
Elijah, taking a new mother's blood pressure
Dr. Molly, taking great care of her patients
Team Med Clinic, about to gear up for our second round of patients!
Bonus Evening Adventure: "Jumbo" by Jenna L.
After dinner, our team took a trip to the local super-market
called “Jumbo.” We had a lot of fun shopping around cluelessly and purchasing
lots of snacks, specifically ice cream. We could not help but feel like a huge inconvenience,
as we did not speak the language. The icing on the cake was the fact that we
were unaware that it is customary for customers to tip the baggers; we just had
no idea! We arrived home with more
snacks than we should’ve been able to carry. Nonetheless, our Jumbo visit was
most definitely a success.
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