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Month: July 2012

Reggie’s Blog – “Dedication Day!”

 

The day we have been waiting for has finally come! Over the last five days we have been given the opportunity to give a family the gift of a home. I cannot explain all of the lessons our team has learned from them. From the beginning they embraced and welcomed us as if we were a part of the family. The energy was contagious for all of us. Because of this experience, the family and community have a special place in all of our hearts. It saddens us that we could only be here for a short time; we wish we could stay here much longer.
 
The family taught us these three things: love, compassion, and generosity. This family taught us love through the connections they have within their family and community, and the connections they made with us. They taught us compassion through their personal stories and way of life. Lastly they taught us generosity through everything they offered us. There are many lessons left unlearned and this is why we hope one day our paths will cross again. We hope this house is a stepping stone towards a healthier life for the family and generations to come. Within these concrete walls we hope the family can find feeling of comfort and safety. We want this family to create many memories. We feel that we are now a part of their family and we have welcomed them into ours. We hope for years to come that this family adds their personality to what began as a pile of bricks, and then became a house, and now a home.
 
Handing the keys of the house over to the family was the greatest feeling ever! We sang a song, gave our speech, and presented them family photos. There were a lot of tears today, mostly tears of joy. This family may have never have had a door which they could close and lock at night. The family was very thankful for the gift of a home. We spent time after the dedication with the family, dancing, listening to music, and just having a good time. It strengthened our relationships with the family members that much more. I am looking forward to doing everything again with the next team. Until then we have a fun five days planned for the interns.
 
Reggie – LiveDifferent Hero Holiday Intern, Dominican Republic 2012

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: July 16th, 2012

Reggie’s Blog – “Creating Hope”

 

It was the last day at the worksite, and everyone was putting all they had into it. I spent the morning at the school/community centre, then the afternoon on the worksite. It was a really fun day because the kids kept some of us really busy.
 
kidsboat
 
There was something that I experienced this morning that I will never forget. Joy, one of LiveDifferent’s staff, and I were invited to Francisco, Frankelly, and Frankabelly’s house. When we got to the house we helped the three of them herd and milk cows. It was all a learning experience for the both of us and an eye opener. They are only 6, 7, and 9 years old, and they did all of this without a problem. Joy asked me while we were there, “can you imagine living this kind of life?” I thought about it and I said that I could never imagine it, but I believe I would really enjoy it. It would be a very interesting lifestyle; I almost wish I could have grown up on a farm. With all that said, I am proud of where I was born. It has allowed me to have many opportunities, including this one.
 
almostdone
 
I have learned to avoid feelings of pity since I have been on this trip, and instead work on creating hope – hope for the people living in poverty here in Dominican Republic. I am holding strong on the idea that what we are doing with LiveDifferent is sustainable and creating a better future with positive hopes and dreams for the amazing people we work with, including the family we are building for. We finished all of what we could do today at the house; the last thing we did was lay the floors. It felt awesome to actually walk away knowing we did all we could do to help in building the house. The family will put the finishing touches (painting) on the house tomorrow during our excursion day/day off. We will be preparing for the house dedication over the next day and a half and taking some time to relax. I am looking forward to sleeping in, relaxing, and most of all handing over the keys to the family!
 
Reggie – LiveDifferent Hero Holiday Intern, Dominican Republic 2012

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: July 13th, 2012

Reggie’s Blog – “Education, Family Pictures, and Cows”

We often take for granted how easy we have it in the developed world. We have fairly easy access to clean drinking water, suitable healthcare, potential education, and sufficient food. Unfortunately, for those living in the developing world, poverty directly effects these aspects of life. Let’s look at education for example. In Canada the majority of us easily make it through high school and then move right into post secondary often without a problem. We may even spend a year or two doing random courses just trying to figure out what we want to do. Very commonly people do not respect their education and just throw it out the window like it means nothing. Here, where poverty exists, education is one of the things that everyone strives for as it can entitle them to a career with an income that can bring them right out of poverty. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to do this because it costs too much or people have too many responsibilities at home to go to school. Many people on our team, including myself are stumped because we cannot figure out the answer to the following: why must these people, who are very intelligent and appreciate learning, have to be the ones who cannot further their education? I hope that if we continue to do what we are doing and more people chose to join wit us, then the chances of furthering education will rise for the communities we work in.

students
 
Today, I was able to walk through the partially finished house with the mother of the family we are building it for. I asked her to explain to me how she envisioned the house to look at the end. She explained where each person would sleep, the paint colours she will use, where she would cook, and where the family would eat. Following this, we asked her if she would place any photos around the house. She responded by saying, “I would, but I cannot because I do not have any pictures.” After hearing this I instantly knew something we could do on house dedication day! We will bring the family pictures which we will take of the family and of us with the family. They can then place them around the house; I believe the mother will be very happy with this.
 
cow
 
At debriefing we discussed the effect poverty can have and shared anything that people had on their minds. This triggered a few tears for some people as the reality of the poor health care quality that is available here set in. To end it on a positive note, Joy and I went to Francisco, Frankabello, and Frankelly’s house to get them because they did not come to the school as usual. When we got to the house we found the three of them boiling milk over a mini-fire. The reason they had not come to the school was because they were helping their family: milking the cow, weeding the yard, and preparing the milk. Seeing these children doing this really opened my eyes, because these children are 6, 7, and 10 years old and they are completely content with doing what they were doing. It is just amazing. There is a lot I have learned from these boys and the other children, and there is still so much more left to learn. I have been invited to return to the three boys house to help milk the cow…now this is VERY different for me; LiveDifferent is definitely the motto I have chosen to follow.
 
Reggie – LiveDifferent Hero Holiday Intern, Dominican Republic 2012

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: July 10th, 2012

Garret’s Blog – My first day back to Aguas Negras…(DR Intern 2012)

 

On my first day back to Aguas Negras I was so surprised at what I saw. The entire community had been changed and they had been given new hope. The shoreline has been brought back to life with the recent building of several new homes. I couldn’t believe my eyes and it gave me such an incredible feeling.
 
shoreline
 
Although the community is very far from being healthy or clean, you can see the difference with each LiveDifferent Hero Holiday trip. I was walking through the streets and it brought back such remarkable memories from my last trip. I saw so many familiar faces including the contractors I worked alongside with last year as well as many young children who remembered me. This was by far the highlight of my day. To see how happy we make the local people and the effect we have on the community, as individuals and as a whole, is amazing!
 
garret
 
I had just met the family we were getting the opportunity to build a home for when a young boy came up to me. He was so happy and it didn’t seem like anything could bring him down. He had the biggest smile on his face which I found so inspiring because of the situation of his day-to-day life. Of course, just like all the other kids, he wanted to hop on my shoulders and off we went. We walked back to the trucks from the middle of town and he began waving to his friends and pretending he was flying. That’s the difference between the Dominican Republic and Canada. These people can be so happy with so little that they have and it really is astounding.
 
Garret – LiveDifferent Hero Holiday Intern, Dominican Republic 2012

Author: LiveDifferent

Date:

Reggie’s Blog – “School, Worksite, Cabarete, and Games Night/Bonfire”

 

School, worksite, Cabarete, and games night/bonfire – this is what my day consisted of. The only thing is it was much more extensive than just a basic, scheduled day. This morning at the school we did a lot of colouring, playing tag, and playing with the parachute. The kids are just filled with energy; it is a workout trying to keep up with them. 
 
playing
 
Today I brought the framed picture of Francisco and I which I took last year. I brought it to his house, and gave it to him in front of his mother. Francisco was very shy when I gave the picture to him, but his very quiet “Gracias” meant a lot to me! He took a few minutes to decide that he wanted to put it on the living room shelf which can be seen as soon as you walk into the house. His mother thanked me also as she continued to recognize and say with a smile, “amigo!”
 
smoothcoating
 
Appreciation continues to shine in the community of Arroyo Seco; I love it. We have been making very good progress on the house since we have been working on it. Today we finished the smooth coat; this is not the easiest task. The day was hot, and the smooth coat occasionally—frequently for me— fell off of the wall and managed to get everywhere on our clothes and bodies. At the end of the day it was totally worth it; we are that much closer to finishing the house and we got a real good dirty picture!
 
house
 
I was able to have a short conversation with the mother, Gladis, of the family which we are building for. She is extremely shy, but did answer some of my questions. She said that she is very happy that we are here to build her a new home. Being here, we are giving her one of her dreams—a home which creates dry and secure safety for her family so, they can go to school and continue a healthy life. I am honored to be building for this family; they are a lot of fun.
 
poolparty
 
We left the worksite a little early today in order to be ready for our team dinner at Cabarete. We went to a restaurant on the beach, had dinner, debriefed, and took some awesome pictures for memories. I love the tight bond that our team has formed. It is making it much easier for everyone to grow as individuals because they do not need to worry about fitting in. On top of all of this, we also had a games/bonfire night here at Sousa by the Sea. The games went perfectly, but the bonfire not so much. Not everyone had made it to the bonfire before it began to rain really hard. The majority of the people got extremely wet and just jumped into the pull. Even though the bonfire did not work out, the mini, unexpected pool party allowed some people to mingle and interact. I love how most of the volunteers here are awesome sports; it makes the trip that much more fun. The trip is going amazing; I am excited for it to continue!
 
– Reggie, LiveDifferent Hero Holiday Intern, Dominican Republic 2012

Author: LiveDifferent

Date:

Straight-up Awesomeness

I am feeling grateful and I have been incredibly humbled by the volunteers I have stood side by side with on this trip. They are so young and already they have seen, heard and felt the need in communities. They have chosen the road less travelled and decided that they will be compassionate and loving. They are mixing cement, smooth coating and sweating. They are so eager to work and so excited to entertain the children. They are drinking in this experience with every ounce of their being.

conveyor

These are the youth that will be happy. It is this generation that has the resources to make a difference. They will change the world. They will spread the word, inspire others and continue to live with hope. They are passionate about learning new things and connecting with the people in the communities. These student volunteers see the beauty in people, from every level of income and from everywhere, and they just can’t get enough. The ripple effect of this experience is going to be enormous. So much so that it is hard for most of them to conceptualize the magnitude of what is happening here.

shovels

I get to work side by side with these youth on a daily basis here and back home in Canada. I keep telling them that they have so much power in their hands, that they inspire and humble me, that they hold the key to ending the suffering of those around them.

smoothcoating

If they weren’t so awesome, I wouldn’t get to do what I do. I wouldn’t get to lead and teach and inspire. I want to thank them. H. Jackson Brown said ‘Live so that when your children think of fairness and integrity, they think of you’. Seriously guys, when I think of fairness and integrity, I think of all the faces and names I have encountered on this trip.

Genevieve – LiveDifferent Hero Holiday Teacher Volunteer, Domincan Republic 2012

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: July 9th, 2012

Haley’s Blog – Tears of Complete Joy (DR Intern 2012)

The first day on the worksite was an excited relief to say the least. Going from a warped and twisted treasure hunt in the La Union garbage dump, picking recyclable trash to help a family’s income, to aiding in building a home for a deserving family was an unsuspecting switch. I faced equally hard working individuals, striving to better themselves and their family, merely living in different communities. 

cement
 
Marino, his wife Elizabeth, and the workers were already working by the time Team Four arrived in the morning. Marino was cutting and preparing a chicken for lunch, which had been alive a mere half an hour earlier, and the beans we already boiling over a fire. In an instant, the Team was immediately engrossed in work. The old flooring was being pick-axed and removed, sand was being sifted, and cement was being mixed. Via translator, Elizabeth expressed her happiness and how truly blessed she was for finally having a safe place to call home. 
 
arroyo seco
 
Having only known Team Four for a couple days, I was already so incredibly proud at their ability to jump right in and help out in any way possible. Fifteen minutes in, it felt like I was sweating buckets and everyone looked just drenched as I was, but we all had smiles across our faces and excited for what was to come next. We have the biggest house build for Week One and we couldn’t be happier to be a part of it. 
 
more cement
 
If I had to express my two highlights of the day, everyones’ willingness would definitely make the top two; however, finally reaching the Arroyo Seco school after being away for a year was my number one. My heart was pounding, waiting to see if I would see the kids and recognize them from last year. As we rolled up in front of the gate, there she was. Ana. She was standing amongst her sisters, and at twelve, she is always looking out for younger siblings. She was watching the Team file off the truck and as soon as I dropped to the ground, I feared she wouldn’t remember me. The long year I was gone, worrying about if she would be okay during the hurricane season, or if she was surviving a mere mosquito bite, would mean nothing. All that washed away as soon as I called her name and her eyes met mine. Her face lit up in the biggest smile I’ve ever seen cross her face and suddenly she was in my arms hugging me as hard as I was hugging her back. I’ve never cried tears of happiness, but having finally seen Ana after all this time, I was shedding tears of complete joy. 
 
basketball
 
Ana and I spent the afternoon together with four other members of the Team and numerous other children from the area. The girls started painting the Team’s nails, and Ana gave me a nice pink manicure. A Team member, Laura, and I played two-on-two basketball and got our butts kicked by two boys half our age and height. They may be younger, but they had an intense amount of skill that put mine to shame.  The day ended with us reuniting with Team Four at the worksite and hearing stories of their day on our way back to the resort. Covered in concrete, dirt, and dust, they were all smiling and ranting they couldn’t wait for tomorrow. We worked hard and we played hard, and it’s only been one day on the worksite. We still have three days ahead of us and I can hardly wait for the morning. For hard work, for helping build a house for a deserving family, for the Arroyo Seco kids, and lastly, for Ana.
 
Haley – LiveDifferent Hero Holiday Intern, Dominican Republic 2012
 

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: July 8th, 2012

Reggie’s Blog – “I Have a Dream”

 

Today was an extremely emotional day for teams five and six. I know that this may be one of the hardest blogs to write because expressing my feelings about today is nearly impossible. We visited the garbage dump for an “In Their Shoes” experience. Each of us was paired with a local to help them rummage through garbage to collect plastics. This is the only means of income for these people; they make, at the most, five dollars a day. Many of these people are stateless. This means that although I could look at them with my own eyes and see them standing right in front of me, they are non-existent to the law.
 
reggiedump
 
I do not know about you but this upsets me. I find it very overwhelming to try and comprehend all of the situations that these people are facing. Thankfully, I felt very welcomed into their place of work. Despite all of the situations, the majority of these individuals are content and very positive. They are positive because they have hope just like many of the people in the other villages LiveDifferent works in. This positivity brings out even more positivity in me; all of my reactions at the garbage dump this year compared to last year were complete opposites. Last year I would describe the smell as atrocious and unbearable; this year the smell made me smile with excitement. The growth of the individuals in our group is stunning! I feel that many of the people who wanted their eyes to be opened really achieved this today. The tears and stories can surely back me up on this one. I apologize if this blog seems to ramble, but I have so many thoughts and feelings going on in my mind tonight I cannot organize them into meaningful information right now.
 
partnersdump
 
Tonight at debriefing Cole referenced Martin Luther King Jr. in his, “I Have Dream” speech. He said that those very first three words of the speech can mean so much. Having a dream is the beginning of hope and change. It was the dream that each community leader had that was the catalyst for where we are today and where we will be tomorrow. I get goose bumps every time I listen to a story about the community leaders. My eyes fill with tears and my heart sinks each time I listen to the horrifying facts about billions of people in our world. But, on a positive note, it all proves to me that I need to remain strong and remain the individual who has the motivation to create change because there are people out there, like Sonya (who I worked beside at the dump) who rely on the assistance of those with the motivation to change to help lay the stepping stones to a much brighter future. I am looking forward to visiting the garbage dump again while I am here in the DR. I am also stoked to get back on the worksite tomorrow where I can get to know our family a little more while we go with full force at constructing our house.
 
Reggie – LiveDifferent Hero Holiday Intern, Dominican Republic 2012

Author: LiveDifferent

Date:

When You Change the Way You Look at Things…

 

I saw people. I saw young, hardworking men. I saw wonderful children, including a toddler proudly wearing her pink dress. I saw proud mothers and mothers-to-be. I saw kindness and community and positivity. I saw hope. That is what I chose to see on my second visit to the garbage dump today.
 
childdump
 
I’m not saying that it wasn’t difficult to watch at times, or that statelessness and poverty are acceptable. I’m not saying that it didn’t cross my mind that my own toddlers could have been born to this life. I feel strongly about taking action and making changes. I am adamant that love will change the world, and that it begins here, now and with me. But my reaction today puzzled me. My students were sad, angry and plowing through, picking recyclables and food out of the garbage trucks that kept on coming. They were paired up with a Haitian community member, amazing teams of two, from worlds apart, striving to fill those seethrough bags.
 
jessidump
 
Everyone is entitled to their reaction. It stems from their experiences and no judgment should ever be passed on someone’s feelings in a certain situation. I was trying so hard not to judge myself for my reaction. It was so different. I just saw something beautiful. I was not upset or sad or angry. If anything I felt compassion. Compassion for people who have very little, and choose to work together as a community. People who get up 5 or 6 days a week to work on empty stomachs, yet find it in them to be giving and loving and helpful and smiling. People.
 
dumpgroup
 
The people I met today, they are an inspiration. They are the reason I do what I do. They are the ones who allow me to be the best person I can be. They inspire me to make changes, to make things happen and to continue striving for social justice.
 
“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change…”
 
Gen – LiveDifferent Hero Holiday Teacher Volunteer, Dominican Republic, 2012
 
 

Author: LiveDifferent

Date:

Reggie’s Blog – “Building and Grandma Cecelia”

WOW! Today was great! It was the first day on the worksite and at the school in Arroyo Seco. In the morning I was at the school with half of the team doing activities with the kids and then at the worksite constructing the home in the afternoon. It was clearly displayed that everyone felt the heat while we smooth coated walls, laid bricks, mixed cement, and assembled the metal rod supports for the house! Everyone was a sweaty, red mess by the end of the day; this is a sure sign of a hard day’s work. I am very proud of how hard everyone worked, and I am glad that everyone was impacted in some way throughout the day. I can sense the growth among each individual on our team, including myself. We are all getting to know the families we are building for, having some fun, and taking the time to understand and respect each other and the people we are working with.

 
cement mixing
 
The two main highlights of my day were reconnecting with a little boy named Francisco (who I met last year) and getting to see another side of the grandma of the family we are building for. I was extremely excited to get to the school today because I wanted to see Francisco. Although I was very excited, I was even more nervous. I was nervous that he would not remember me and honestly that would have crushed me. Fortunately, he did remember me and it put me on cloud nine for the rest of the day! I spent only 6 days with this young boy and he is surrounded by hundreds of people in the duration of a year, and I have not seen or communicated with him the entire year. Yet he still remembered my face and my name! We played the entire morning and even a little more in the afternoon. Francisco showed me what appreciation really feels like, and appreciation is a huge thing among EVERYONE in Arroyo Seco. This is something I value because it has become somewhat lost in the “Western World.” If people could just put down the technology and appreciate life in general there would be a lot of positive change.
 
kids helping
 
In addition to the appreciation, dedication and fun really stuck out to me. Not only was it displayed by the team but by the family. The really show that they appreciate us being there helping them get a new home. They show this by being there at the worksite all day helping us with every task. Let me tell you, I am not exaggerating this at all. Miguel, the boy whose family we are building for, and his sisters, aunts, mother, and close friends were ALL mixing cement, lugging buckets, lifting bricks, and sifting sand. It kept me highly motivated to be working there because of the family’s participation. It has become a very personal build already. The family maintains high levels of enthusiasm and fun while we work.
 
grandmother
 
The funniest story if the day involved Cecelia, Miguel’s grandmother. Cecelia is a visibly elderly lady who is very loving and kind, and she displays complete innocence. She surprised us all today. The workday was nearly over, and we were all cleaning up. A close friend of the family had been working with us all day, and was just leaving the work site, walking towards bottom of the hill. He was being a little silly (we all were) when Cecelia bent over, picked up a rock about the size of a softball and threw it about 20+ feet at the friend of the family. The rock hit him without hurting him much, but it stopped his sillyness right away! We were all shocked but laughing at how she was joining in on the fun. Immediatley after she hit him she kneeled with one knee to the ground and did the wrung up fist pump celebration that ice hockey players often used, as if to say ‘yeah, I got him!’ This was hilarious for us to see because we knew it was all for fun! She is an awesome person and I am grateful to be building for her family. I know the entire team is eager to keep going and lifting those buckets of sand up and down the hill! I am very proud of everyone! Tomorrow is garbage dump day, so I expect it to be very emotional, but an eye opening experience for everyone on the team.
 
Reggie – LiveDifferent Hero Holiday Intern, Dominican Republic 2012
 

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: July 7th, 2012