[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!
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
Sounds like an amazing, life-changing day! I can't wait to hear more about your host families.
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