Without struggle, there is no progress

If you’ve ever vacationed in the Caribbean, or any Third-World country, you know that on the other side of your wristband-gated all-inclusive resort, life can be a struggle. Daily struggles are commonplace for a disproportionate number of local citizens and, among the residents, there’s another subsection of  individuals who struggle beyond what is imaginable for most.

Yesterday, the participants of WestJet’s Hero Holiday were introduced to the five families for whom we have the privilege of building homes. Their lives are an exercise in graceful perseverance; they are real-life examples of courage and determination. We were also introduced to Pastor Garcia – an individual whose inspirational story of involvement with the community of Arroyo Seco will make you want to go out and be your own agent of change.

As a previous WestJet Hero Holiday participant, I have returned to the Dominican Republic filled with anxiety and excitement. I am excited to see the families that we built homes for previously and want to reconnect with some of the friends that I have made. However, because I didn’t know how emotional a reintroduction to the communities would be for me, this excitement was mixed with anxiety.

I am happy to report that this anxiety was misplaced. Stepping back into The Dominican Republic has been a truly joyous occasion. The community has embraced us with as much warmth and affection as they did previously. The grace and kindness displayed here is something I never want to forget. As I look at the houses we have built before and the ones we are in the process of building, I feel an enormous amount of pride working for WestJet, the amazing company that brought us here.

So, to my fellow WestJetters who are dedicating time away from their families and who have made sacrifices to be here, you are all true heroes. To the WestJetters back home, it’s hard to describe how truly transformative this experience is, but anytime you have the opportunity to be involved in change that enhances humankind, I hope you will stand up and be counted.

When it comes to making the world a better place, your dreams and goals are never too big or too ambitious. 

Veron Marsh, Guest Service Ambassador, Vancouver

The Change Within

Yesterday, 50 WestJetters came together, from across our network, to embark on an adventure to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. The plane from Toronto was abuzz with WestJetters in blue Hero Holiday t-shirts, nervous with excitement and anticipation about what the next 10 days would bring.

As a member of the Community Investment team, I have had the privilege of participating in each of WestJet’s three Hero Holiday trips. I’ve been able to see first-hand the remarkable change that takes place in Nuevo Renacer, the community my fellow WestJetters will visit today, many for the first time. I have seen 10 new homes built in 2012 by WestJetters – meaning that 10 more families are now safe, dry and able to move forward with the next chapter of their lives.

I’ve seen a beach where you couldn’t see the sand for all the garbage turn into a place where children in the community are able to play. I’ve seen children grow, go to school and start to pursue their dreams. I’ve seen new babies born into new homes, so they will never know what it is like to live with pools of dirty, contaminated water on the floor. I’ve seen roads paved to this community and a steady, safe electricity supply be connected.

All of this change couldn’t have been imagined five years ago, but is now a reality due to the compassion of groups like WestJet and other organizations that partner with LiveDifferent. After this Hero Holiday 2013 is completed, another five families will have received new homes and can continue the momentum of change.

Many WestJetters on this trip don’t know what lies before them, but I do. I know that the participants, like this community, will go through an exceptional amount of change on this trip. They will see things that shock and disappoint them, and make them question why things have to be the way they are. But they will also see moments of true happiness. Gratitude and love will flow from the families receiving homes and the community as a whole. These relationships will help them see their world in a different way and those WestJetters will continue to bring the movement of change to their communities when they return to Canada.

Many people sign up to take part in Hero Holiday so they can change the lives of the people of Nuevo Renacer. My hope is that WestJetters who take part in Hero Holiday will realize they also have changed.

Sarah Speedie, Community Investment Coordinator

The Birth Lottery: My Days in Haiti and the Lessons Learned

Source: The Scrivener, Volume 22, Number 3, Fall 2013. http://www.notaries.bc.ca/resources/scrivener/Fall2013/pdf/Scriv%20Fall%2013-online.pdf

Our Lives Have Changed As Well

Although we have left our own families behind, we have become a part of a bigger family. From the first day we stepped off the bus, it was amazing to feel so welcomed by all of the people in the village. It was like we had known everyone there our whole lives. It was so nice to see people from the village come together to help not only the families we are building for, but us too. The lack of jealousy and generosity is simply mind blowing. 

Today, we did a day in the life activity where we spent the morning with a separate family that consisted of a single mother (22 years old) with a three year old boy. We started the day by hand washing the clothes that were dirty for two weeks, because believe it or not, she simply could not afford detergent. Almost everything done down here is by hand therefore requiring a lot more time and work. We cannot tell you how grateful we should be for having machines to do almost everything back home. We then had to walk to her mother’s house with the clothes in buckets to hang them outside in her back garden (not your typical back garden) to dry. She does not hang them outside her own home because she is afraid that they will be stolen. We could not believe that the little boy had for example, only two pairs of underwear and about three shirts.

On another note, every time it rains the mother has to put plastic bags on the ceiling above their beds because the roof is leaky. Although she does this, some of her things still gets wet including her bed. We also helped her prepare lunch that was provided by LiveDifferent. We helped her cook half of a chicken with rice and a small amount of vegetables that was going to be shared among six people. It was so nice to see how giving she was with so little, to share the meal with some of her family. One thing we couldn’t believe was how little they waste. When we were adding the rice into the pot, she wanted every single grain to go in!

We cannot believe that today was our last day of work! It was extremely hard work but definitely worth the effort and time. We are so looking forward to dedicating the house to the families. Not only will their lives change but ours have as well. 

Ashley & Melanie, LiveDifferent Hero Holiday Volunteers, Dominican Republic, Making More Change Trip, 2013

From Our Island to Yours

Privileged and Honored

Well here we are into our fourth day of our Hero Holiday.  Never would we have imagined the feelings and emotions both mentally and physically that we were about to face when we signed on for this project.  It has not only been four days of intense work, but it has also been time spent getting to know many families and becoming part of their everyday life. We are both so privileged and honored to be part of this amazing life changing experience, which we would not be taking part in without such a wonderful organization known as LiveDifferent and for that we thank you.

Krista and Ronnie, LiveDifferent Hero Holiday Volunteers, Dominican Republic, Making More Change Trip, 2013

I am so proud to be a part of this change.

How does anyone even begin to describe an experience such as this? I for one have no idea how I will go back home and try to process this experience. I am very grateful that I have been given the opportunity to witness and be part of the change that is currently taking place in Nueveo Rancer. I am only 15 myself, and I am totally amazed at the amount of young girls my age who are left on their own, and are already mothers. These people with smiles for everyone and are so welcoming to us. The children here work as hard or harder as any adults, anywhere. I am enjoying every free minute I get to spend time with the children for they are the happiest people you could meet, even with the little that they do have. I was also able to spend a few hours in a house with a family. I was amazed by how much we really take for granted. Things such as turning on a light switch, and turning on tap aren’t so easy here. I am so proud to be a part of this change.

Amber – LiveDifferent Hero Holiday Volunteer, Dominican Republic, Making More Change Trip 2013
 

A Day in the Life

Makin More Change Trip

So here we are after our first day visiting the village we will be working in. We had no idea how life changing this experience is actually going to be. The sense of community and love for one another was overwhelming. We don’t realize how lucky and privileged we are to live in a country like Canada. The things that we take for granted every day are things that those people could only dream of. 

The people at LiveDifferent are doing so much to help these people to have a chance for a better life, not only for the families we are building the homes, for but for each and every person in their village and we are so grateful that they have given us this opportunity to help them make a difference. It is In giving that we receive, and they are giving us so much more that we could possibly ever give just by the smiles on their faces and showing us their love. It is more than we could have ever imagined!

Michelle & Michelle – LiveDifferent Hero Holiday Volunteers, Dominican Republic, Fall 2013

Strangers become family

It’s funny how 10 days can make such a drastic change in your life. How what you thought was your reality becomes an entirely new one, and how strangers from a different world can become family. This Hero Holiday trip has changed my life.

Clarivel is a mom of seven, a teacher, a singer and an inspiration to me, as I’m sure to a lot of others on my team. She’s a strong, courageous, and independent woman who I look up to in so many ways. I got to sit down with her just by myself and I am truly glad I got the chance to do so. We talked about her love for teaching, her amazing kids, her strong faith, and her incredible story. I found out some heart-wrenching details that honestly broke my heart. She told me that when it rained her house would flood and there was nothing she could about it. Seeing how much it has rained in the past 10 days was a whole new view on how she had lived before we built her a beautiful new home.  She kept saying that all she wanted was a safe and secure home with a door that locked so she could feel a somewhat safe environment around her and to keep people from coming in during the night and trashing it. When she had started to cry I tried to keep it together but then I cried too. I never knew how much I had taken for granted. A safe home and a locked door, among other things in my life.

When she started singing to me all I could feel was pure joy. She has an amazing voice along with her oldest son, Vladmir. Even though I couldn’t understand it because it was in Spanish, I still felt the emotions she was feeling just by looking at her face. She had told me that she wanted to be a famous singer when she was younger but nobody had scouted her. She then told me now she just sings in church. It made me think that we as people in this world, may not live in the same conditions and have different ways of life, but we all dream the same dreams. We are just kids growing up in different parts of the world. It’s hard to find words to explain how much Clarivel has touched my life in such a short amount of time.

On the Dedication Day, Jen and I wrote the speech to read to her. I was truly honored to have done this along with being the one to hand her the keys to her safe and secure home! She surprised us with a performance of her singing two songs, it was inspiring and amazing to watch. You could tell that this was her passion.

When it was time to say goodbye, we both cried. Her entire family told our team that they were going to pray for us to live safe and happy lives along with how much we’re changing so many different families lives by doing what we are doing. I am so inspired and changed by this woman’s strength. Our last hug she said that she was my Mom and that I was her Daughter. I began to tear as I was hugging her because not so long ago I didn’t even know who this woman was and now she was considering me as one of her daughters. She ended up telling me that she loved me too, and I said it right back. I do love her, she has changed my life in so many ways and I can’t thank her enough. She is a gift from God and I will always remember the change that she has brought into my life.

Kyra ~ Building Dreams Volunteer 2013