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Category: Dominican Republic

Housekeeping, Pictionary, and MUD!

The past two days have been so incredible!  As a returning LiveDifferent participant I made it my goal to fully put myself out there this week and to experience everything I can, as well as to try my hardest to make connections with the people in the villages.  The past two days are helping my goal for this trip to shape itself.  Yesterday we were given the opportunity to not just view the homes within the village as outsiders, but to partner up with a mama in the community and go with them to their home where we helped cook, clean, and do other household tasks.  

The mama I was partnered with was only four years older than me and because of this I think we really connected. I was so intrigued by her lifestyle which is so opposite from mine.  As a twenty two year old mum of two amazing children, she was incredibly strong in character.  She showed my friend Lindsay and I around her house proudly.  She told us how she was so lucky that she and her husband had won the lottery six years ago because it gave them enough money to build a house (unfortunately it was not enough to completely finish it, so they experience a few problems whenever it rains outside).  Lindsay and I tried our best to help with the cooking, and it became very comedic when our mama and her friends saw us trying to cut up chicken at a turtle pace.  Lindsay and I do not have much experience with cooking, so for me to imagine being four years older and cooking and cleaning for two children – it was difficult. However, I was so impressed by her confidence, amazing personality, and her constant smile.  This experience was so positive for me, and even though our mama lived in a very small home without a lot of money, she was so grateful and proud of everything she had and she really gave me a new outlook on how I view my life. 

Today was also another unforgettable experience.  Our day was split into two parts: in the morning we taught English at the local school, and in the afternoon we worked on building the house.  Our English lesson was about animals, and we used games like Pictionary as well as making animal noises and flash cards to teach some basic English words to the children.  I was a little anxious preparing for the English lessons because I knew there was going to be a language barrier, and I wasn’t sure if our lesson would run smoothly.  We started off with a rocky beginning, but by the third classroom we went to the kids were picking up the words and energetically engaging in donkey sounds or pig oinks!  I’m really glad I got to try and teach English within the classroom today, and I hope to learn some more Spanish phrases so that I can communicate better with everyone I encounter this week.
 
 
Our afternoon can be described in one word… MUD!  I was working outside today shoveling dirt and laying it on the side of the house so that water will not run into the house.  When the rain started, what was originally really hard work ultimately became really hard work that was so much fun! All of my team members including myself were covered head to toe in mud.  We were giving it all we could and were getting right into the work, not once even questioning how dirty we were.  After the amount of pick-axing I did today, I think I could compete in a body builder competition hahaha!  I am really proud of every member of my team today because everyone worked at the building site and put their full heart into the work they were doing.  Today was a really successful work day and as we get closer to the House Dedication Day, I am getting even more excited to give our family the keys to their new house.   
 
– Rhiannon

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: April 26th, 2012

An experience we were not expecting…

 

Our team had an experience today that we were not expecting. We went to the local garbage dump to ‘live in the shoes’ of the Haitian refugees. Nettie, our Hero Holiday leader, discussed what we would be expecting to see earlier that morning, but once we arrived at the garbage dump, I was in complete shock. It not only affected me physically, but emotionally as well. I was overwhelmed by the situation I witnessed upon entering the garbage dump. There were piles of garbage everywhere that Haitian refugees would go through everyday just to find recyclable materials that they would collect and sell for an extremely small amount of money. It made me stop and think about how much I waste things and throw things away, and the fact that they could be going through all of it.
 
 
I realized that in our Western Culture we take many things for granted. It upset me the most knowing that they are so determined to work so hard, even when faced with conditions such as rain and unsanitary environments. Some of the women at the garbage dump inspired me because they provided for large families with many children. Many of them were single moms who sacrificed their time to support their families as best as they could.
 
 
Back in Canada, we are blessed with the opportunity to become whatever we want to be, and to hold jobs such as doctors, lawyers, or teachers. However, many of the people at the garbage dump are stateless and don’t even have a chance to receive a proper education and therefore their job opportunities are limited.
 
 
Poverty gave me a huge eye opener today and made me really think about how I view life back in Canada. We are so fortunate to live in a country that provides free healthcare, good education, and many opportunities to a good life. Going back home, I will have a different outlook on life and will want to create change wherever I can. I will never forget the experience I had today.
 
– Sigrid

Author: LiveDifferent

Date:

A life-changing day!

Today was a life-changing day, it was day two of building and making a change.  As we went into Arroyo Secco, Garcia was waiting our arrival with five women.  We broke up into pairs and each went with one mother or grandmother to their house.  These women were incredible.  They were so happy to see us come into their homes that they gave us a tour and showed us every detail of their home.  I went into a home that would have been the size of my kitchen area back in Canada but they have made it into four rooms with six people living there, (a grandmother, her brother, the father, and three sons).  Seeing how the grandmother worked around the house was an eye opener.  There was no dishwasher or laundry machine, everything was done by hand.  The way she cooked was like she was making a new creation.  No recipe or measuring cups, just her mixing different ingredients in and tasting it, adding the things she felt was missing. 

It amazes me how mature the children are in the household.  They do not have to be asked to clean something or pick something up and they always keep everything so tidy.  As we were watching and helping the grandmother cook lunch for the family, the nine-year-old boy mopped the floors while a six year old did the dishes.  Back home most of us as seventeen and eighteen don’t mop the floors or do the dishes and if we are asked to do something we complain.  This shows how much we take for granted. 

The grandmother walked around with so much pride in her house and was so glad we came.  When we left the boys and grandmother gave us big hugs and kisses and told us to visit any time. 

After leaving the grandmother’s house, we made our way to the building site, which has made a huge progress.  All the walls are up and have been covered in meccla.  I cannot wait for the rest of the week.  Tomorrow we are at the garbage dump, which will also be a life changing experience!

– Melani

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: April 24th, 2012

St. Aloysius Gonzaga Catholic Secondary School’s Hero Holiday 2012

The first two days in Dominican have been absolutely amazing! The weather is beautiful, the people are so friendly, and the house we are building is going up fast.  When we arrived Saturday, we toured Sousa and the surrounding areas. We drove to a community called La Union and were able to tour a part of the neighborhood where many of the children of the workers from the dump live. The instant our group stepped off of our bus we were bombarded by love and affection from these children! They ran to give us hugs and everyone was just touched by the trust and love these kids had shown. One thing that amazed me on the first two days was just how kind everyone is. Everyone we say hello to instantly smiles and waves right back.  Just knowing that one simple word can make someone who doesn’t have a lot a little bit happier amazes me!

We later met the family we would be building the house for.  The family of eight (five young girls, a grandmother, a grandfather, and father) were living in a house the size of my living room.  I felt guilty knowing that my family of four live in a house with so much space to spare, and that a family double that size are living in a small house, covered in mold, and made of tin panels.

Today we went to begin building and to play with the children at the local church.  Even though it was so hot and the work was very hard, I was motivated and ‘adrenalized’ to work hard, because I knew I would be making a difference. Once we got to the church which is just down the road, I was excited to jump right in to play with the children. Even though it is difficult to communicate with them, through their actions they were able to show us that they were grateful no matter what game they were playing or what person they were with.

I cannot wait for the rest of the trip and all the adventures we will go on! Tomorrow night we are going to be watching the movie ‘Tangled; with children in La Union and continue building the house and will make a change!

– Courtney

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: April 23rd, 2012

A day of rest, relaxation and reflection (Tuesday, April 17th)

Tuesday was another beautiful day in Puerto Plata and a day off for all of us. Many WestJetters felt they needed to be onsite but realized the time off was much deserved. We also needed this time to reflect and process all that we have seen and learned. Not to mention we needed to rest our bodies from all the lifting, carrying, mixing and pouring.

 
LiveDifferent set up few excursions for us, which was great. There was scuba diving, dune-buggy adventures and a trip out to Monkey Jungle and Zip Line Adventures. Monkey Jungle includes a monkey enclosure and a zip line course. It’s actually quite the compound with amazing views that are lush and green. This tourist attraction was actually created to assist in financing a free medical and dental clinic that is offered every weekend to the poor living in the surrounding neighbourhoods. It’s run with the help of many volunteers and all profits go right back to the clinic.
 
A group of WestJetters also hired a crew to take them out onto the choppy waters for a fishing experience. The nausea and four hours of fishing were well worth it when they came back to the hotel with two four-foot-long Dorados that were easily 20 to 30 pounds each. The crew agreed to keep one and send the other out to the five families we’re building homes for in Aguas Negra. Buen provecho!
 
As our trip comes to a close it is so great to see all of the friendships made. The relationships have truly blossomed from that first moment when we met in the Toronto airport more than a week ago. Many of us had not met one another before then, but this experience has bonded us for life – even though some of us live on opposite sides of the country. It has been such a pleasure to share this experience with 49 remarkable WestJetters.
 
Liz Guillemaud

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: April 19th, 2012

Movie night with the community’s children (Monday April 16th)

 

Note: Due to the technology and connectivity challenges WestJet’s Hero Holiday participants face in the Dominican Republic, the post below was stuck in cyberspace for a couple of days. Thankfully, we’ve got it now to share with you.
 
———————-
 
Today, Monday, April 16, officially marks our seventh day here in Puerto Plata. It was also our final build day in the community of Aguas Negra. After a long and labouring day on site we packed it up, hit the showers, grabbed a quick bite to eat and were off again. Destination: La Union for a movie night with the kids in the community.
 
La Union is home to many Dominicans but mostly Haitian refugees. Many of people that live in this community work at the local dump. There were a few familiar faces and exchanges when some of the WestJetters were reunited with the worker they had been introduced to and had the pleasure of working alongside during the previous couple of days.
 
We were greeted with cheers from the children who were all seated in front of a makeshift screen cleverly constructed of a bed sheet suspended from two trees. Every time one of the four trucks carrying the 50 WestJet Hero Holiday participants rolled in, it led to another burst of cheers.
 
The feature of the evening was Rango in Spanish (with English subtitles for those of us who have not quite perfected the language). There was a buzz in the air and the children were eager to find the best seat the house. The best seats, of course, included the laps of a few WestJetters.
 
The children here are so beautiful. So open, trusting and looking to win your affection. I looked around at one point and noticed we were all surrounded by children. Some had even fallen asleep in our arms. Cookies and Bits and Bites were handed out throughout the movie – a huge hit. A special thank you goes out to the Air Supply crew in Calgary for setting us up with those treats, which provided a little WestJet flare for the night.
 
Not only did the children come out, so did several of the adults in the community. What a great evening to be surrounded by good company. The perfect end to an amazing day. Thank you LiveDifferent, the people and, especially, the children of La Union for a wonderful night under the stars.
 
Liz Guillemaud
 

Author: LiveDifferent

Date:

A day at the garbage dump

Today was garbage dump day. THE day I equally feared and looked forward to most. Who would have known it would turn out to be one of the best experiences of my life. Hands down. Bar none.

We geared up in our long pants and boots (if we were lucky to have packed them). A sense of excitement and nervousness filled our morning briefing session and it wasn’t long before we arrived at the dump. It was located down an inconspicuous road we drove past every day and one, like the people, that was easy to pass without noticing if we didn’t look for it. The dump looked and smelled like a typical dump with the exception of a few key things: cows and dogs ran freely and children, teenagers, women and seniors were crawling and searching through the garbage, trying to earn a day’s pay.
 
 
The majority of the workers we would meet came in illegally from Haiti. This makes it so they have no access to health care, education or government aid. So they come to the dump to find bags of bottles, plastic bags and cardboard which they will sell for a few dollars a bag.
 
 
Upon arrival, we were paired with another WestJetter and a local worker for the day. Our partner was a lady in her late 40’s. She wore a skirt and running shoes along with a tank top, which was a far cry from the 25 of us who were covered from head to toe in gear. It rained quite heavily the last few days so those wearing boots were considered themselves relatively lucky. At one point, someone took a wrong step and ended up in sludge well past the knees.
 
 
When the dump trucks came in the workers ran to the pile, each staking their claim. They literally crawled on top of mounds of fresh garbage to find their items. Through rusty cans, fecal matter, foliage, food, hazardous waste, bottles, diapers, maggots, cockroaches and rats, people climbed and sorted. And so we began to climb and sort as well. The smell was beyond putrid at first. It burned our nose and eyes filling them with tears. There were several moments where my partner and I wondered if we could do this. And then it just became easier. We wanted to help ease the load of the local worker we had been paired with, so we became committed to sorting faster and better.
 
 
It wasn’t disgusting, it was humbling. It wasn’t dramatic, it was fruitful. It wasn’t repulsive, it was someone’s livelihood. Someone, who just like so many of us, is just doing their job, trying to get by.
 
Initially, my goal for the day was to try not to get dirty, but by the time I left the dump, my boots were covered in a mix of both cow and human feces. My arms dripped with sludge from who knows what and my heart felt heavy. I couldn’t ignore this, seeing it with my own two eyes and yet you need to experience it first hand to understand the humanity of it. These are people. These are people who are unfortunately forgotten about. They are lovely people doing what they need to do to feed their families and themselves.
 
 
Our debriefing session that night was very emotional and healing at the same time. Here WestJetters shared stories of the findings at the dump that excited the workers: a mirror that was cleaned off and used to make sure the fellow looked nice; a whole pineapple in a garbage bag that was offered to the WestJetters first and then shared between the workers. Our debriefing session made something else very clear: this experience will forever affect us all.
 
Sara Foster, Team Lead Sponsorship

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: April 17th, 2012

WestJet – Second building day

It is day 2 of building in Aguas Negras and the feeling of joy and happiness is in the air. WestJetters, contractors, translators and the owners of the homes have been hard at work in all conditions, from scorching heat to rainstorms. To see the sense of determination in everyone’s eyes to complete these homes is inspiring.

 
For the past few days we have arrived on the job site a little after 9:30 in the morning. Before we know it, it’s time for a lunch break. Time passes so fast as no one stands still, always lending a helping hand where it is needed. This includes joining the bucket brigade (helping to pass buckets of fresh concrete to pour molds), sifting sand to add as the topcoat on the house, or spending countless hours laying concrete bricks to ensure that the walls are going to withstand hurricane winds. After a brief lunch, it is back to work to ensure that we are able to present these very deserving families with homes before we leave. We literally have to be torn off the job site at the end of the day, as everyone wants to stay and continue to help where we can.
 
 
One of the things that has stood out for me in building these homes is the fact that the entire Aguas Negras community has come to help. All of the local children offer to help where they can from filling our buckets to providing a smile or a wave when they know we need it. I have had many conversations with women my own age, and despite the fact that we are not speaking the same language, we are able to communicate and see that we are just like each other. Finally, I have to highlight Rosie, one of the people we are building a home for. All the WestJetters on site are wearing protective boots, work gloves and sunscreen. Rosie, the eleventh member of our team, is helping to carry cinderblocks and gather concrete to build the walls of her home in flip-flops and bare hands. She never stops smiling and was later gifted a pair of work gloves. When you see her smile, despite the hard working conditions, you know that you are truly making a difference in someone’s life by helping them build their home and it how much it means that we are there to help.
 
 
To see WestJetters putting their all into building homes for someone they barely know, but clearly love, is very inspiring and reinforces how our values travel with us and are present in all the communities we serve.
 
Sarah Speedie

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: April 16th, 2012

Kicking off the Build

 

Today is the day our WestJetters have been waiting for. From the moment they were selected to go, completed their fund-raising and finally stepped off the plane in the Dominican Republic, our team has been waiting for a chance to get their hands dirty building new homes. “I just want to get in there and make it happen,” said Kerry from YHZ on the bus ride from our resort.
 
 
If you’ve ever kicked an ant’s nest, you would have a great idea of what it looked like to see our WestJetters, contractors, translators and locals working together to get the job done. To our surprise, our energy was matched by the children in the community. “The kids were so quick to jump in and help,” noted Donna, YHZ. “They were grabbing shovels and trying to help in any way they could.”
 
 
During our busy morning, the walls of the homes kept getting higher and higher. Each team was kept safe under the watchful eyes of our local contractors. LiveDifferent always uses local workers and suppliers to help support the economy and the communities they work in. This employment has helped many others improve their lives and the communities they live in.
 
 
In the afternoon, we started preparation for laying the floors of the homes. This work meant dozens of long runs with the wheel barrels through the streets of Auga Negra. The children were always quick to offer to take the load for you or at least help filling it up.
 
 
That night we had a great debrief session with Nettie from LiveDifferent. A large part of the session was dedicated to learning about the impact that poverty has on the lives of those in the community. The team at LiveDifferent has done a great job of culturally educating us as well as supporting the build. They are the real deal!
 
We learned today that one of our Dominican Republic families has three children that have never attended school. Nettie announced that due to the amazing fund-raising efforts of our WestJetters across the country, they will be able to ensure that these children will get to go to school. We’ll be able to leave them with a roof over their heads, supplies, food and a chance at a brighter future. If you bought a raffle ticket, cookie at a back sale, taco-in-a-bag or any other donation for the Hero Holiday trip, please know that three children will have a better future because of it.
 
On behalf of the entire team I want to thank everyone for their words of encouragement. We read them every night at our sessions and it makes everyone smile to hear you care about the work they are doing.
 
By Corey Evans
 
*The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of LiveDifferent.

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: April 14th, 2012

Day three: awareness tour

 

It all started at 9 a.m. on a hot and sticky Tuesday morning. More than 50 of us jumped into 4 military-esque vehicles to begin the tour of our surrounding areas. The morning for half of us began at a schoolhouse and church built by the dream of a man who ran on love and a prayer. He literally began building
without the proper funds in the hope and a prayer that in starting this project, the rest would work itself out, which was inspiring to say the least.
 
After playing some basketball and skipping with some of the children we were off again to a small community called La Union, a place where we will spend more time tomorrow watching movies and getting to know the locals. After a quick lunch, we were back on the road again and en route to Agua Negra; the site where 50 of us would build 5 new houses for some incredible families.
 
 
Walking through Auga Negra is an experience that you will never forget. Rotten and decrepit wooden homes rest upon each other in a struggle to stay erect; chickens and dogs run across your path; garbage greets you in every direction you turn your head. The water that surrounds the community is black and swells up with the weather to eat away the land that nearby homes reside on.
 
 
You would think (as I learned my team also did in our nightly debriefing session) that this would dampen the mood of the day, and it would if it wasn’t for one thing: the beautiful people of Agua Negra.
 
Upon arriving in the place we will spend the next several days you are greeted by strangers who greet you as if you are long lost friends. Children grab your hand and walk with you. The locals come out to say hello. You would think in a place as seemingly deplorable as this that there would be envy amongst the
neighbors that 5 families would be receiving a new home and they would be left out. Interestingly enough though, there is nothing but love and admiration for these folks and a feeling of hope that their turn will come as well.
 
 
Today we were all introduced to our families who could be described as this: Families of hope. Families of love and families that can teach us the true meaning of what matters most in life.
 
Our group has been assigned house number 5. As we all learned today house number 5 is a family of six that greets us with mile-wide smiles and an excitement that is contagious. They share with us their dreams of sending their children to school so they can someday become professionals and (for the
mother and father) to get married after 15 years of being together.
 
In a world where we complain if we don’t have the newest, the greatest, the biggest and the best, these two simple wishes are enough to bring my team to their knees. The absolute LOVE and JOY this family has is a reminder to us all how out of touch we can all become to what matters most.
 
In our nightly debrief session (a great part of this program that allows people to share what went on during the day), there was an unexpected moment with my team when we came together to discuss what we thought of the day. Personally, I had started the day believing (and later learned this seemed to
be the consensus) that it would be really tough and somber day and would act asa shock to the system and a rude awakening that would set the tone for the rest of our mission here. And it did set the tone.
 
But in unexpected ways.
 
During the debrief session, the unanimous tone of the evening was of gratitude, excitement and hope. A far cry from the preconceived emotions we expected to have.
 
We cannot wait to begin this amazing journey with our family.
 
By Sara Foster
 
*The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of LiveDifferent.

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: April 12th, 2012