Student Takeover: Day Three YEAH!

"Boulder Day" @ Batey Papita

by Cora

Our team at Batey Papita works everyday shoveling, pickaxing and wheelbarrowing our way to finishing a home. The homes we build are hurricane proof for the safety of the workers! Our goal for the day was to finish filling the subfloor in the biggest room of the home. How do you finish a subfloor, you ask? First, you fill it with big rocks and then top it off with dirt. The problem was that the rocks we needed were buried deep into the ground and were too big to carry. So we had to dig them up and then split them until we could carry or roll them into the house. There were a couple of them that took hours and hours to get free. We were able to fill the room almost all the way! 

The team worked straight through lunch because we all planned on going to the beach in the afternoon. At about 12 the whole team was exhausted but we all came together to finish the last third of the floor in less than an hour!! The previous two thirds took all morning! We packed up for the day and headed back to El Casa Pastoral. 

A symphony of pick-axes

Cora and Joe rock.

"BEST DAY EVER" @ Joe Hartman School

by Siola

Today we went to Joe Hartman. When we arrived at the school, the children were very excited because we had a surprise visit from the Toros!  The mascot of La Romana's baseball team led a short pep ralley, and the team graciously gave all the children free tickets to the game that night.  After that, we divided into two groups of four so we that could visit the different classes. For the younger kids, we taught the "Days of the Week" song in English, and for the  older kids, we made snow flakes out of paper plates. We also handed out stickers which the kids couldn't get enough of! One of my favorite parts of the visit was when I was drawing faces for the kids on their snowflakes. One of the kids gave me a Bible in return, which I thought was the kindest thing in the world. While I'm not religious, I thought this gesture was so beautiful. Of course, it's written in Spanish, so I'm definitely going to start reading it for language practice!

Dreams do come true!! Meeting the Toros mascot.

Bringing snow to fourth graders at Joe Hartman

Anika and her newest friends!

Bubble Bubble Toil & Trouble @ Batey La Gina
by Catie

After a scenic bus ride, filled with Spanish music and views of sugar cane, we arrived at Batey #412, La Gina. Almost immediately, we were showered in holas by small children, who were captivated by our bubbles and stickers. We also saw many stray animals that we had to restrain from petting. We spent an exhausting yet rewarding day handing out shoes, much needed medication, and hygiene products. Despite the high temperatures, watching a group of young Dominican children share Cheez-Its and a Paw Patrol coloring book was the thing that warmed our hearts the most. 

Bubbles 

Puppies galore!

Hard at work 

And then...
by Cora

We got home by 2:45pm and did a quick change. We all packed into the bus and headed to the beach. It was sunny and hot! Those of us who worked so hard in the morning ran into the water to cool down! We played some volleyball and tossed around a frisbee. It was such a great way to recharge!

After we got back and ate our delicious dinner, we were visited by Andrea, the woman who serves as a liaison between the mission and the hospital. She spoke about the importance of education. She was born on a batey, and she moved to the city at age 12 and is now an attorney! This was possible because she was able to educate herself. It was truly one of the most inspiring things I have ever heard. I couldn’t think of a better way to wrap up a day of hard work than hearing the story of the woman who is the reason we are able to do that work. 

Student Takeover: Day Two YEAH!

Med Clinic

Student Blogger: Fleance

Today in the medical clinic my main job in the pharmacy was to give out medicines and supplements prescribed by the doctors. The pharmacy is pretty hectic, as those in the pharmacy have to find and portion meds just as prescribed. This requires a high attention to detail, which I thought I was perfect for. It was also extremely fast paced as we had multiple papers with medicines come in all at once. For me the most memorable moment wasn’t with giving a certain family meds or interactions with patients, although those are all equally as important. To me, the most important moment was finding more prenatal meds. This was since at the beginning, we only had 3 or 4 bags of prenatals, which are meds that help pregnant women get the nutrition they need while also helping with the development of a soon-to-be-born child. When we had just one bottle left, Arielle found a whole box of prenatals with about 40 more bottles. When this happened, I felt an immeasurable amount of relief and excitement. I was thrilled to know that we had more than enough supplements to help women in need and their future children would live a healthier life. This was so significant to me because my main goal in life is to help as many people as I can, and if that starts with a medium sized box of vitamins, that’s enough for me to be satisfied with the work ethic that the pharmacy team as a whole put out throughout the day.

Close quarters in this school-turned-med-clinic!

Team Pharm (Tyler, Jack, Fleance, Arielle & Bella)

Davie & Carlos #1 leading us as we pack up the bus

Batey Papita

Student Blogger: Sadie

Today I went to the construction site at Batey Papita. We finished laying the foundation for a floor in a house for the workers. When we first arrived, a little girl named Melissa ran up to me and held my hand while we went to put our shovels and wheelbarrows down. After working hard for about two hours, I took a break to play with Melissa. I gave her gum while my new friend, Caitlin painted her nails. We worked hard for the rest of the day, and finally finished the floor for the house. Tomorrow we are going to pour concrete! The day ended with our group going to the Torros game. Vamos los Torros! 

Photo cred & subject: Sadie

"The national anthem is different!"

 La Fuerza Azul: Toros Superfans

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.

Student Takeover: Prep Day Success!

This morning we woke up to an amazing breakfast of pancakes and fresh fruits. The juice, in particular, was insanely good. After we filled our stomachs, we started organizing ourselves and prepping for the week of service ahead of us. Tons of medicine was hauled out, and donations were retrieved from every crevice of the suitcases that we had filled to the max. And so the sorting began. I was working at the medical station, so I was counting and labeling tiny bags of medicine to give out to the people on the bateys. We must have sorted at least 2,000 pills each-in just a couple of hours! 

Tyler, Jack, Sadie, Lamiah, Elijah, Anika, Julian Rachel, and Betty

Starting on the left & moving clockwise

Then we packed everything up and had spicy chili for lunch with Dominican style crackers. The food here was so different from what I was used to back in America. After lunch, we packed up and got ready to head to the beach. All the girls in the dorm grabbed their bathing suits and gushed over the pictures we were going to take, but after the seeing the clear blue water, everyone left their phones behind and jumped in. After only a few hours, I knew all of my team members’ names—Watkinson and UHSSE alike—and shared a unique memory with each of them. 

Playa Bayahibe

Post-modern post-beach selfie

We returned back to Casa Pastoral, where I got my first hands-on experience measuring blood pressure with guidance from Mrs. Crespo and a couple of other chaperones. As I sit here, with Elijah by my side pointing out every apostrophe I miss, I can’t wait to spend the next six days with my team and working to help the people of the Dominican Republic.

Sincerely,

Anika S.

Safe and sound!

After 12 hours of travel, all travelers have arrived safely at Casa Pastoral!  We were greeted with smiles, hugs, and some delicious plates of rice, beans, and chicken.  Once our plates were empty and stomachs full, we learned some important tricks of the trade related to hygiene and safekeeping: how to shower with your mouth closed (try humming), safely brush your teeth (with a cup of water, away from the sink), and how to wash your hands (vigorously with soap, then Purell after).

Also, we learned that tongs aren't just for the kitchen.*

Our travel day went smoothly beyond our wildest dreams, and we couldn't have asked for a more positive or responsible group of travelers!  But we're tired - and it's time to get a good night's sleep for our final prep day tomorrow.  Buenas noches, todos!

*Ask a traveler if you're curious.

Day 7: Stepping up to the plate in all the best ways

On Friday, we returned to all five sites for one last time.  While everyone felt accomplished, it was the Papita crew that deserves a special spotlight.

In about 4 hours, the team of about 20 individuals accomplished an incredible amount of work.  They painted both the interior and exterior of the house and finished the sidewalks around the exterior--requiring lots of cement mixing and wheelbarrow pushing.  At the end of their work day, they were able to hand over the keys to the house to the new owners.  For everyone on the team, it was a remarkably powerful experience.

Sal finishing the door for the house with Mike, Jason & Jesse in back

Gabby painting the house's exterior

The Crossons, preparing some cement

The whole team after handing over the keys!!

After work concluded at all five sites, we headed to the beach for one last hurrah.  The waves were a bit higher than usual, as if they too were celebrating all that we had accomplished.

Photo Cred; Ayize 

We returned to Casa Pastoral for a delicious dinner of chicken, mashed potatoes, and broccoli/carrots followed by a few closing activities.  We met in our triads (technically, quads) to discuss what this trip meant to us and how we will talk about it in the future.  Either we could tell people "the trip was fun!" or we could provide an answer that honors and dignifies the people we met and served.  Our reflection activities helped us craft the stories that we want to relay on behalf of our friends in the DR.

Just before packing up our suitcases, we concluded with arguably the most wonderful activity of all: Paper Plate Awards.  Throughout the week, each student had to discreetly stalk their recipient and surprise them on Friday with an award.  The ceremony was rife with excitement, laughter, corny jokes, fond memories, and good cheer.  Most impressively, however, was the behavior I witnessed in the rare moment when the activity didn't go as planned.  In those instances, I watched as high-school students voluntarily crafted impromptu awards to make sure that their classmates felt honored, appreciated, and seen.  These people stepped up to the plate (no pun intended!!) and made this evening truly unforgettable in the most unexpected and wonderful ways.

Best DR Dad : Avi SR

Presented by Emily

At the close of this event, we headed back to our dorms to finish packing for the long travel day back home. 

Day 6: Thanksgiving

After our fourth day of work, the team had a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving.  Nevertheless, this day is always hard.  From 8-4, we spend the day in the most rudimentary and sometimes sordid living conditions one can possibly imagine.  Then we head to Casa Pastoral, shower, and take a bus to Casa de Campo, a gated resort town owned by the sugar cane industry--where our world is turned upside down.

We arrive at a mansion with vaulted ceilings, lavishly furnished living rooms (plural), and a stunning pool.  Once settled, we crack open a Coke or Sprite (more delicious in the DR, thanks to the natural sugar used in the recipe... which is possible thanks to the exploited sugar-cane workers that we aim to help).  And once the final trimmings have been laid out, we enjoy a filling meal that comfortably feeds over 100 individuals.

The exact site of our Thanksgiving dinner

It's really easy to be thankful after the conditions we have witnessed and experienced all week.  It's hard, though, not to ask "why."  Why were we born into a life of security and comfort?  Why weren't the individuals we serve?  Have we done all that we can do to rectify this injustice?  Is there anything more we can do?

I don't have the answers, but I'm grateful for a Thanksgiving that was authentic and meaningful.