Adios, DR!

We arrived in the resort town of Juan Dolio on Friday and were surprised by the luxury of this all-inclusive resort. A beautiful spot right on the water, the resort boasted a wide variety of restaurants, shops, activities, and even resident flamingos and peacocks. Our group settled in and headed straight for the beach to enjoy a day of relaxation at the end of our trip. As much as the hotel and grounds were beautiful and we enjoyed our time in the sun, I think the group would agree that it was a stark contrast to our time in San Cristobal.

After seeing how a small group of Dominicans lives through host family stays, we were humbled by the daily challenges they face. Even the most affluent families must deal with power outages, limited running water, or poor access to resources. It's a daily reality in the DR, so it was shocking to see a place where such resources were in abundance and used in excess. The resort felt like tourism bubble, where you were issued a bracelet at check-in that gave you unlimited access to endless food, activities, and all of life's pleasures. To see a place like this in such close geographic proximity to where we had just been was a transition that was difficult to swallow.

During our final dinner and our closing group discussion, we tried to make sense of the four different contexts we were exposed to in just seven days: the colonial city of Santo Domingo, the small town of Cambita Garabitos, the nearby city of San Cristobal, and the resort town of Juan Dolio. Each of these locations presented a different side of the DR. None of these places alone encompasses the Dominican experience, and even all four combined are just a slice of life in this diverse Caribbean nation. We realized that we had seen places that were only a 2-hour drive from the capital, a small fraction of the myriad towns, natural wonders, and models of daily life that exist here.

When we arrived, our group was interested in finding the "real" Dominican Republic. After our week-long study tour, we came to the conclusion that none of these places is more "real" than the others. All of these places combined--these samples of life here--are the "real" DR. This country is taking advantage of economic development opportunities centered around tourism, leading to the resorts and tourist centers that dot the coastline. By experiencing what most tourists experience, even if just for one day, we had an appreciation for just how limited most visitors' understanding of the country can be.

As we return to our classrooms and schools, we are each inspired to bring back stories, pictures, and information to our students in order to complicate their thinking about a country they may barely know. Through our eyes, our friends and families back home can begin to understand this unique country and all of the gifts it has to offer. We had a wonderful experience in the Dominican Republic and hope to return in the future, in order to continue to develop the relationships we initiated during our short time here. Thank you for taking the time to read our stories and learn about our adventure as it unfolded. We hope that this blog, in some small way, inspires you to travel and learn more about the world. We're already eager to plan our next trip!

Muchisimas gracias,

Julia de la Torre (on behalf of Primary Source and our adventurous crew (Jim, Flavien, Gretchen, Diane, Cori, Jill, Bwanda, Anne, Laura, Georgia, and Aleida)

Photos: 1) view of the beach at Juan Dolio, 2) flamingos on the grounds of the resort, 3) Bwanda O. and Jasmine, one of our hosts, 4) the group on our last day

Finding Common Ground

Last night, we concluded our visit to San Cristobal with a huge thank you party for our host families. Yesterday afternoon, many of the teachers were treated to afternoon activities with their families—some visited a local beach and feasted on fish and “chips” (tostones); others walked all over San Cristobal and got to know every corner of Trujillo’s home town; others still came over to Yolanda’s house and prepared food for the big feast that was going to take place that night.

Around 7:00 p.m., host families and tour participants started to pour into Yolanda’s home, drawn in by the bachata and merengue music booming from the stereo system. Dominicans asked Americans to dance and before you knew it, the place was alive with energy, laughter, and some pretty crazy moves! Little did I know how much dancing talent we have in this group! Everyone was so willing to give it a try—it was a wonderful sight to see. Before we knew it, about 50 people had filled Yolanda’s patio and the program was ready to begin.

Each family was invited up to the front to share their experience living with their American guest. They told hilarious stories of family outings, communication through gestures when language was lacking, and common ground that they all found between cultures. One thing that came up in almost every host family’s comments was their American’s interest in their food or the size of their appetite. Dominicans take great pride in their food and love to show hospitality through cooking. So they were delighted to share with the group the fact that their American guest ate a lot or enjoyed eating plantains or habichuelas (beans). But the general consensus is that Americans eat “muy poco” (very little) and that we have small appetites. On the contrary, if you asked any American teacher about their eating habits in the last three days, they probably would say that they’ve eaten enough for a year. Their Dominican hosts were so excited to share their traditions and recipes and to expose our group to all of the wonderful things the DR has to offer.

After each Dominican family presented themselves and their experiences, our teachers were given a chance to offer their thanks and appreciation for these wonderful people who opened their doors to us in good faith and with a sincere interest in connecting with other people. I felt a deep sense of pride and satisfaction listening to each teacher share their stories through laughter, artfully crafted statements in Spanish, and miming. Through their stories, I was reminded of the power of human connection and how even in times where there is no language in common, human beings have the ability to connect in profound and meaningful ways. To me, this is the most important form of diplomacy or foreign relations. Through one-on-one connections, shared experiences, a common meal, a willingness to dance, and a sense of humor, almost anything can be achieved. In just three short days, these two cultures came together in a real way and relationships were created that will last far into the future.

Today we head to our final destination—the resort town of Juan Dolio (east of Santo Domingo). We will certainly relax and enjoy the beach, but also reflect on a week full of challenges, new experiences, and memories.

Video: teachers dancing at the going away party; Photo: Laura P. and her host family

What a Difference a Day Makes

We returned to the school this morning to complete our garden project and were amazed with how different our experience felt as compared to yesterday’s visit to the school. When we arrived this morning, the plan was to add fertilizer to the soil, water, and plant the seeds. Our idea was to work with the director to select a small group of kids who could help plant the seeds and learn from our community expert, Don Tilo, who is Yolanda’s husband.

When we arrived, we went right to work and a few kids came to help us clean the remaining rocks and trash from the garden bed. We quickly realized that there are many obstacles to a successful project. Water was needed to wet the soil, but there was no power in the area. “No hay luz” is an expression that is often heard to indicate that the power is out. When there is “no light”, then there is no way to pump water. So we worked with local community members to pump water by hand to continue the project. We knew that when it was time for recess, hundreds of kids would descend on the garden. Yesterday, we were disappointed when kids would run through the garden and would continue to dispose of trash. Even just one day later, we were amazed at the difference. Not a single kid walked through the garden, each of them delicately walking around the edges and scolding their friends if someone placed a foot on the bed. We also noticed that kids weren’t throwing trash today and seemed very attentive to the project.

After classes resumed, we worked with a small group to plant the seeds—parsley, radishes, and carrots. Don Tilo explained to this group of boys how important it is for them to care for the garden and to serve as role models for the younger kids who may not know how to care for the plants. He gave them more seeds to plant on their own, once they see the progress of this small plot. The boys paid careful attention to his wise words and seemed eager to sustain the garden. Another group of students joined some of our teachers to plant sunflowers in various spots around the school to beautify the grounds and make for a more welcoming environment. They carefully worked together to design a space where the flowers could be appreciated by students and visitors alike.

When we left the school today, we felt as though this project might actually be sustainable. To see the difference from Day 1 to Day 2 in how children were treating the garden and participating in its construction was both humbling and energizing. I think all teachers agreed that the relationships we created yesterday and the efforts made to include the community truly paid off. We were able to step back and watch a community leader, Don Tilo, work directly with the school children to ensure the success of the garden.

Tonight, we will have our final going away party to thank the host families for their amazing hospitality. We hope to share some guest blog posts tomorrow so that you can learn more about the diverse families that welcomed our teachers for the last few nights.

Videos: preparing the garden bed for seeds

Service-Learning in Action

[from April 21, 2010]

Today was a really full day, full of new and interesting challenges. This study tour was designed as a service-learning trip. This means that one of the main goals is to learn about the people and culture through actually working on a project in the community. But service-learning doesn’t start and end with a single project. It is not just about the sole act of planting a tree, building a room, or working on a farm. It includes all of the learning that happens ahead of time to understand the cultural context, as well as all of the reflection and processing that needs to take place during and afterwards in order for participants to make sense of the project in context.

Up until this point on our trip, the teachers have become familiar with Dominican history, culture, people, and traditions. For four days, they have been immersed in Dominican life and have learned about the context in which they are to complete this service project. They have been living with families and learning about the challenges that the DR faces and the opportunities that are ready to be seized. They have gained insight into how the history and politics of the country affect learning in schools and the efficiency of the education system. They have lived “Dominican Time” and seen how relationships are what get things done in communities here. People who know people can make anything happen.

We have done readings about the DR and about effective service-learning and realize that there are so many components to a successful service-learning experience. In no small way, we have seen just how important relationship building is to a successful project and how difficult it is to plan such projects ahead of time. The DR is a place where things happen in person. Despite planning by phone and email, opportunities arise when you are face-to-face with someone. So when we arrived Tuesday night, we heard that there was a neighborhood school that was in pretty bad shape, but that they were trying to clean things up. They indicated an interest in a school garden—one that could beautify the school and also allow the kids to participate in its maintenance after our departure. We only have two days here, so we wanted to get to work right away. The school director showed us around and a couple of community members weighed in on which site at the school would allow for the most fruitful garden. With that information, we worked with our Dominican hosts to gather tools, supplies, and manpower to begin the project.

By 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, we had worked together with kids to prepare the plot and get the bed ready for planting. But this is where we experienced the challenge and the importance of relationships and community. We took advantage of an opportunity that was presented to us and listened to the needs of the community in the moment—the school wanted a garden. The director knows us, trusts us, and was excited to have us there. But she didn’t have enough time to get the teachers and students on board, so our arrival felt very much like a surprise to the community. Unlike the other two schools where we were not only expected but anticipated, our arrival at this school felt mildly uncomfortable. But the teachers handled the situation well and thought on their feet about the best way to get the community on board so that the garden project would be more sustainable than having a group come in and build it FOR the community.

They decided that during recess, they would engage kids to help out with cleaning the garden bed and clearing trash. Some students had a class period free to come out and work for longer, so together with students and a couple of community leaders, we worked quickly and efficiently. Other tour participants took to the classrooms and went room to room with the director to explain to teachers and students the role of the garden and how important it is for them to care for it and for them to keep their school beautiful. Other teachers still did trash pick up with other students and talked to them about the importance of keeping the school clean. Trash disposal is such a difficult issue because it’s not culturally engrained to not litter. We reflected on how many years of anti-litter campaigns we were exposed to growing up and how over long periods of time, that kind of reinforcement is what changes a culturally engrained act. So we realized that our efforts today were small and part of a much bigger process that needed to take place in order for students to care for the garden and keep it clean. But we hope that tomorrow, when we plant seeds with kids and finish the garden, that the community will care for it into the future.

When we returned to Yolanda’s house, we had some time to process the experience and really identify what the many factors are that make for a successful service-learning project. We also talked in depth about what “success” really means…for each of us something different. In looking at our project today, we realized that having the community on board, having a trusting relationship with the school leader, having Dominicans involved in every step of the process from goal-setting to completion, and being established in the community are all elements that contribute to an effective project. The teachers did an amazing job of reacting in the moment and making the best of a challenging situation, where not all of these elements were present. In our reflective discussion afterwards, we talked about how this is the first step in a longer process of relationship building. Now that we have made connections in the community and people know who were are, we think that future trips will benefit from these efforts and can build on and improve the service-learning model. It gave us pause to think of the many service groups or even non-governmental organizations that work in countries abroad with the intention to help, but just how complicated it is to design and implement a project that makes sense on all levels.

We will return to the school today to finish the garden and then spend time with our families in the community. We are happy with the result of our efforts, but have a deeper appreciation for and understanding of the opportunities and challenges of service-learning. We hope that by sharing this experience, it also causes you to think about what service means for you in your own lives.

Photos: 1) Groundbreaking for the garden at the local school in San Cristobal, 2) kids, teachers, and community members working on the garden, 3) Julia dlT and Milo cleaning out rocks from the garden

Off to the Village

[from April 20, 2010]

Today was an unbelievably special day. I can honestly say that if you asked any teacher on the trip about their experience at the Escuelita Santa Maria in Cambita Garabitos today, the words “special,” “emotional,” or “moving” would be the first ones to come to mind. We left the capital this morning and made the short 1-hour drive to Cambita Garabitos, a small town set in the hills near San Cristobal. On the drive up, the surroundings became more and more rural and offered a striking contrast with the semi-glossy Zona Colonial, where we had spent the last three days. We found ourselves more and more immersed in daily life with every turn. People selling fruit and eggs off of the back of a truck, fresh goats hanging from hooks on display for potential buyers, and men and women sitting outside of colmados (corner stores), enjoying a cold drink or playing a game of dominoes. The images surrounding us were ones that begged processing and offered teachers fuel for discussion as we approached Cambita. Traffic slowed when we passed a few burning tires in the street. We were told that earlier that day, there had been protests in the street, as there were several neighborhoods that had not had access to water. After several weeks without rain, people were compelled to protest to make their voice heard and to demand water. We were told later by our host that this type of street protest (blocking the street with branches or burning tires) was quite common, but that it often didn’t result in much.

We pulled into the Escuelita Santa Maria and were greeted by la Hermana Luisa (Sister Luisa), a French-Canadian nun who came to Cambita 23 years ago and has been here since. At that time, she noticed that children with physical and mental disabilities were shunned by the community and had no place to go. She and a couple of colleagues started bringing those children to a small make-shift school. They started with 8 kids in a small house. After many permutations, they now have a beautiful school for 482 children—about 90 of which have special needs. Over the years, many volunteers, church groups, and other individuals have come to invest time, energy, labor, and money into the school. Luisa tells us that the government usually doesn’t have money to spend on schooling (only about 2.3% of the 4% committed to education actually goes to schools), so many places rely on foreign aid or volunteer programs to bring supplies and training to the schools. Luisa is also a firecracker and is a vocal advocate for her community.

They have 15 teachers at the school, most of whom come directly from Cambita and many of whom were students, themselves, at the school when they were younger. The result is a close-knit family of educators committed to making a difference in the community, especially in the lives of those children who special needs. We started our day with a tour of the school, but then quickly moved into an intercambio where Dominican and American teachers were given a chance to get to know each other. Our teachers then offered two pedagogical workshops—one on reading strategies and the other on teaching with games. Both workshops were dynamic and the Dominican teachers were excited about new ways to engage students and work with material. They also offered ideas that they use to engage students—something that is critical when most of their classrooms have 35-45 students in them.

After a wonderful lunch of rice, beans, and fresh juices, we observed classes and then were treated to an unbelievably moving performance and celebration by the students in honor of our visit. Merengue performances, baton twirling, and musical numbers were carefully crafted and artfully staged by the kids. Each teacher was then welcomed up to receive a painted wooden parrot, a well-known craft that comes from the Cambita region. Kids then swarmed the teachers, hugging them, playing tag and hide-and-seek, and wishing them a good voyage. I think most teachers were stunned by the warmth of the kids and the pure love that was coming out of every corner of this school. It was indeed a special visit.

We piled into the bus, ready to make the drive to San Cristobal, when we were asked to promptly get off the bus due to a flat tire. “Go with the flow” was the name of the game, so we had an extra hour to hang out in Cambita and talk with Sister Luisa about her community while the bus was being repaired. She told us stories upon stories of children in the community who have been faced by the greatest of life’s challenges, only to come out successful on the other end—mostly due in part to connecting to the Escuelita and being cared for by these amazing teachers. Cambita has become worse in recent years, she said, plagued by violence, gangs, and other challenges. The school has played a central role in helping a large number of kids overcome these challenges—many going on to college or others going on to developing a skill or trade that contributes to the community. After talking with Luisa, you really start to understand the power of an individual and the importance of developing capacity in others.

Finally we were off and landed at the house of Yolanda Montas, our contact in San Cristobal. She and our host families had patiently been awaiting our delayed arrival. The teachers were warmly welcomed by a huge party, all host families in attendance. They quickly jumped right into conversations, getting to know their hosts for the next two days and making new friends. We learned about the schedule of service projects and cultural opportunities for the next couple of days and then, one by one, the teachers went home with their families. We can’t wait until tomorrow to learn about their first experiences of family life in San Cristobal. Thanks for your patience reading today. It was a day full of emotion, new experiences, and transformative moments…almost impossible to capture on a blog, but worth trying!

Photos: 1) Cori G. and Georgia D. talk with our Dominican colleagues at the Escuelita Santa Maria, 2) Flavien C. receives his parrot gift from a student at the school, 3) all the teachers in Cambita pose for a picture, 4) teachers and families getting to know each other at the welcome party in San Cristobal

Time for School

Today was our first school visit. We conducted a cultural and professional intercambio at the Escuela Brasil, a typical public school in the San Carlos neighborhood of Santo Domingo.We arrived just in time for the line up of students to enter the school. Each day, the kids line up by grade and raise the flag, singing the national hymn and also chanting a daily oration. They then enter the school grade by grade and get ready for class. In the DR, there are two "ciclos"--a morning group and an afternoon group. Students attend only one ciclo and attend school for roughly four hours. The next ciclo is a completely different group of kids. So we observed the morning group, grades preschool to 8th grade. Our teachers divided into pairs and observed everything from 6th grade language arts, to 5th grade math, to preschool animal lessons, to 6th grade sex education. We were amazed by how poised, well-behaved, and participatory the kids were. The Dominican teachers clearly have a close, family-like relationship to their students, colleagues, and principal, which makes for a supportive and welcoming school environment.

We were overcome by the generosity of our hosts. Ivelisse, the school principal, gave each of us a Dominican Republic t-shirt with our names and the name of the school written beautifully on each one. As a gesture of our appreciation, we made a small contribution to a refrigeration project that they are trying to get under way, so that all students have access to cold water during the day--something that is a real necessity when students are faced with hot classrooms and outdoor environments.

After our classroom observations, we met in small groups and then as a large group of 35 teachers to discuss our respective school systems and to ask honest questions about how best to support the whole child and create a learning environment that is engaging and motivating for all. We realized that we have much to learn from our Dominican hosts. The day concluded with a "coffee break." What we thought would be coffee and cookies was actually a huge lunch spread, complete with rice and beans, sweet plantains, chicken, and cake. It was an amazing gesture from a school that seemed to have boundless energy and a warmth of spirit that moved us all. Several teachers made personal connections with other educators that they hope to nurture in the coming months and years, so that students in both countries can benefit from an exchange of ideas and cultures, as their teachers did today.

Tomorrow, we leave Santo Domingo and head to Cambita Garabitos, a small village northwest of the capital, where we will participate in a second school visit. We look forward to drawing comparisons and filling in our picture of education in the DR.

Photos: 1) the school bell that rings between classes at Escuela Brasil, 2) children in the preschool class, 3) Ivelisse and Julia show off the gifts received from their respective partner school, 4) the group in front of the school

Guest Blog Post: Georgia and Laura in Santo Domingo

[This is the first of our guest blog posts--teachers who will share pictures and stories from their experiences in the DR. This first post is from Georgia D. and Laura P.]

Georgia and Laura faced their first day in Santo Domingo with fear and trepidation. How were two non-Spanish speaking travelers going to manage. Hours later they realized as they have in previous travels that smiles, gestures and a camera are all that are needed. Legendary Dominican hospitality kicked in at every turn:

• In the lobby of Hotel Frances where Carlos greets them by name every time they leave and enter the building
• At an evangelical church where the music drew them in and where they conversed about religion with the minister, his son, his wife and many others while Laura got roped in to taking family portraits
• At a jewelry store/ restaurant where a colorful cast of characters welcomed them and shared their views of education and politics in the Dominican Republic (and Georgia got a great pair of Haitian earrings)
• At a pharmacy where the ladies ducked in during a deluge to buy an umbrella?? They made yet another friend who improvised to keep them dry
• And later in the day at yet another church service where the sounds of instruments called them in- Laura and Georgia were astounded to find that the amazing musician were all of 8-10 years old.

Dominican adventures to be continued…

Photos: 1) Georgia talking about education and politics with local store owners, 2) an improvised umbrella to shield her from the rain