Zach's Trip to the Dominican Republic
The two week trip was a trip through Daemen College as part of my service learning credit that every Daemen student is required to have. This was the international service learning option. Unfortunately I don't get to go on the medical trip with the PA class until probably 2017. The first week we stayed with homestay families around Santo Domingo and learned about Dominican culture and how the average middle class Dominican family lives. We had little shopping trips at the supermarket, took dancing lessons, learned how to cook a meal, and even took daily Spanish lessons. Later on in the first week we visited the Colonial Zone, where Christopher Columbus and his family were known to reside for a time. We visited a cacao farm and learned how chocolate is made from the tree to the chocolate factory. When we went to the market, we were able to learn how to bargain like a Dominican and buy souvenirs pretty cheap.
The second week, we ventured out to a city called Hato Mayor about 2 and a half hours from Santo Domingo. This is where it got to be more impoverished. In preparation for the trip, we separated into small groups as we were there to teach the students about health, nutrition, and sexual health. For the whole week we went to the village called Batey Lecheria, we had groups teaching half the day and another group helping outside to construct a fence around the basketball court. This taught us that this is their job, to work outside in 90 degree weather every day. By the end of the week, we were all sun burnt. Once our teaching for the week was finished, we had a scheduled soccer game with the locals. This is when our fun time started. The next day we went to the beach at Saona Island to see how the richer people live.
This trip taught me so much about myself as well as the Dominicans. I hope to go back sometime soon and help the people I met and maintain relationships with the Dominicans I've befriended and the friends who went on the trip with me.
Zach
The second week, we ventured out to a city called Hato Mayor about 2 and a half hours from Santo Domingo. This is where it got to be more impoverished. In preparation for the trip, we separated into small groups as we were there to teach the students about health, nutrition, and sexual health. For the whole week we went to the village called Batey Lecheria, we had groups teaching half the day and another group helping outside to construct a fence around the basketball court. This taught us that this is their job, to work outside in 90 degree weather every day. By the end of the week, we were all sun burnt. Once our teaching for the week was finished, we had a scheduled soccer game with the locals. This is when our fun time started. The next day we went to the beach at Saona Island to see how the richer people live.
This trip taught me so much about myself as well as the Dominicans. I hope to go back sometime soon and help the people I met and maintain relationships with the Dominicans I've befriended and the friends who went on the trip with me.
Zach
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