Monday, November 25, 2019

Student Takeover: First Day YEAH!


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.




No comments:

Post a Comment