Hello girls (and Miles)!

I can’t believe it’s been a whole summer since you were all here at the lodge! Michaela and I miss you all and I’m sure you all miss each other! Though I see some of you are already meeting up back in the US! You are probably back to school, but I wanted to let you know that here at the lodge we are still talking about you guys and the impact you had on us this summer.

After you guys left, I got to see other groups work on the bathroom we started in cano dulce. It was amazing to see the progress that has been! The bathroom is almost done and looks fantastic! I also got to see the trenches at Polanco be completely finished and the water tank is now set up and working! Thank you so much for being the first ones to start making trenches for the pipes. The 200+ people that now have water thank you!

And trust, Michaela and I bragged to our next groups about how our little group of 11 did just as much work as our groups of +25 students.

We had so much fun our little group at Laguna Dudu where NOBODY got hurt (can’t say as much for the next sessions), Rio Yasica where NOBODY got burnt, and Playa Caleton where (almost) EVERYBODY got braids. I had a blast with you all!

I really hope you all are still thinking about the impact you had both during the brigade in the batey Severe, as well as all of our public health projects such as the bathrooms, water tanks, and cement floors.
Please keep in touch and keep updating our instagram group!

Saludos,
Katherine, Michaela, and Javier

 

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Hola hola!

We can’t believe it has already been so long since our Dominican republic trip ended! We can still hear all your vivacious laughter from over the palm trees and among the moos from the cows. You were our first group of the summer and definitely the most memorable! From all of us on the lodge, we want to say thank you for your effort, participation and energy that you put into the project this summer. We could not of done it without you.

We have fond memories of waking up to the smell of crispy bacon and the soft sounds of the meditation bowl. Heading on our way to work sites at Cano Dulce and La Grua, equipped with our speaker and singing on the top of our lungs. And the adventure days, and the beautiful waters and and white sandy beaches.

We know that you guys are probably starting back with school (or college YAY) but we wanted you to know that we will forever remember the laughs and good times that we shared. I hope that you know your time spent in the Dominican Republic did truly make a lasting impact on the communities here, you have left your stamp in the cement and in our hearts.

You will forever be a part of the work done at Polanco, providing water for a community of over 200 people. Clean water management is fundamental to global health. Almost one tenth of the global disease burden could be prevented by access to clean water, and you guys have played a part in this important puzzle by helping to install a water tank and privode bathrooms. We are paving the way to better health for these communities by putting in concrete floors, handing out vitamins and building bottle houses.

We hope that you take the skills and knowledge from this trip into all aspects of your life, and that you remain to be globally engaged, hardworking and motivated to make a different to the wellbeing of people all over the world. We were so impressed with your commitment and effort put into our debate on medicine and HIV/AIDS, your feedback has helped us shape future programs, thank you!

Not to mention the hard work you guys did, we also had so much fun! You guys made the group as special as it was by being so close knit and inclusive. We will always remember and cherish the friendship bracelets you made us (we are still practicing). The stunning sunsets over the lodge, the screams over the spiders, the lazy evenings in the hammocks. GHI.A – you were amazing! The level of care and concern that you showed to each other, the staff and the members of the community will never be forgotten.

Here are Some special moments from our trip:

-Jumping into the blue water from the zipline at Dudu Lagoon

-Learning how to make bottle bathrooms and sustainable health issues with Javier

-Getting caught in the thunderstorm on the beach at Gri Gri Lagoon

-The clinic brigades, and the playful and cheeky children

-All the bracelet making! And the braides.

-The swamp zoo with the crocodile and sweet sugar cane

-Singing on the guagua buses

-Delivering some kick-ass Capstone Projects

Please stay connected! We hope to see you again.

Abrazos,

Hilary, Averi, Michaela, Javier and Idelisa

 

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Dear Students,

By now you’re back to your normal lives. Back to your routines, friends, extracurriculars, some of you
may even be busy scouting out colleges. We hope you are all well and keeping yourselves occupied with
the pursuit of bettering yourselves, but we hope you can take 5 minutes to read this letter and reflect on
the wonderful, life-changing experience we all shared not so long ago… or was it? Take yourself back to
that place with the turquoise waters, breezy palms, wandering cows, and giggling kiddos, and know that
you have forever left a beautiful imprint there.

You all changed lives and that is the simple truth. The community center in NY Chiquito is nearly
finished and holds the promise of community meetings, pop-up health clinics, weddings, and good ol’
neighborly bonding. The 40,000 bottles will continue to insulate those walls and hold in the laughter and
conversations of both Dominicans and Haitians. As for Cano Dulce, the banana plants are continuing to
take hold! Some are even sprouting baby bananers. That community is particularly close-knit and there is
no doubt that the benefits reaped from our efforts will be shared with every household.

As well, the latrine is in use and has undoubtedly increased the standard of living for the family of that home. We are so so proud of you guys. Honestly, our hearts are glowing even reminiscing on all the hard work you put in.

We know that you changed the lives of local community members here, but as just as importantly, that
they changed yours. It is our hope that as you continue on your dedicated paths, as you take courses in
high school and college, you won’t just hear a statistic but feel something at the memory of the people
you met. That the next time you hear a statistic about access to fresh water you’ll remember our little
amigos living on the polluted mangroves. Or the next time you hear a statistic about access to education
you’ll think of the struggle walking up Brison. Whether you remember Mari who cooked your meals
everyday, the bus driver’s who drove you across the country, all of the children who befriended us, or
Johnny and his honey bees, every single person is a part of this story. A part of your story.

Of course, we can’t talk about being impacted by people and neglect to mention the connections you
made within this group! You shared every minute of your day with 28 other people for nearly a month.
What an accomplishment. You laughed together, to the point of tears, and shared heartfelt moments
together, to the point of tears. We felt honored to watch 29 previously unconnected kids, develop over
time, this strange and lovely little family. Complete with fighting each other for the last pancake, as any
true family would. You now have friends spanning all of over the States and beyond (yes we’re talking
about you Hugo and Camile), and who knows when you may have that next planned, or even better
unplanned, reunion. We love you all and hope you never forget your summer of 2018 as a BSW student.

Special moments from our trip:
-Rapping to Usher and Nelly throwbacks on Jaime’s bus.
-Having strangely delicious gas station meals.
-Playing tag with the NY Chiquito kids.
-Witnessing Cole’s breakthrough music debut.
-Sarah doing the worm on the floor and injuring her chin.
-Dorley feeding us fresh cocao (did we ever get a real spelling of that kid’s name?!)
-Has finding the best cane that’s ever existed, and getting it through airport security.
-Luke and Gunnar’s risky hairstyle choices.
-Body surfing and inherent wipeouts at Playa Preciosa.
-Discovering 27,849 tarantulas as well as the spider fiasco of 2018 in the girls dorm.
-Dancing in the rain at NY Chiquito.
-Staff jumping, or being pushed, into the pool fully clothed.
-Hugo discovering his long lost son Ernie.

Sincerely yours,

Jax, Lisa, Sarah, Emily, and Walter

 

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Dear students,

The Lodge does not feel the same without y’all! It was a pleasure getting to know each of you
over the course of 21 days. Each of you have left an indelible impact with staff and community
members alike. You were my first group leading as a program director and I can say you made
my job much easier. Your commitment to the program and genuine desire to learn and soak in
the culture is one that will be extremely difficult to surpass.

From day one we hit the ground running, working in the hot sun. The community center has
since been finished, plantain and banana trees since blossomed, and Alejandro and his family
have moved into their new home with a functioning bathroom. With more groups like yours we
will continue to implement effective and sustainable projects to address issues related to
human security in the DR and abroad. Not only did we hit our meet our project goals, we
exceeded them with ease and had some fun while doing so! We also faced our fears head on.
From cockroaches and big spiders around the lodge to clinic visits and falling out of boats while
whitewater rafting, you were not phased. You made this summer one that I will never forget! I
might even get over my fear of heights one day…

I wish for you the ability to take what you learned and apply it at home. You are the leaders of
tomorrow. Be the change. Continue developing your skills and lead us into a brighter future.
The unfortunate reality of this world is that millions of people around the world lack access to
basic needs to survive. You saw that firsthand. From this point on you are responsible for
internalizing what you learned, what you experienced, and what you lived for 21 days to
address these issues head on. The only failure is inaction.

I’ve had some time to look over our blog posts and pictures from the summer. I always knew
y’all would have a big fan base someday but seeing the comments on your posts was amazing!
It may be corny for me to drop a quote here, but hey, you know me for corny dad jokes. I
searched the innerwebs to figure how who said this but I couldn’t find it. Regardless, it’s this, “I
always knew looking back on the tears would make me laugh, but I never knew looking back on
the laughs would make me cry.” This is so true. We shared an amazing experience and I
personally had so much fun getting to know y’all this summer!

If you only take one thing away from me personally this summer I hope it’s this: HYDRATE! 🙂

Signing off,

Patrick
PS: I’ve finally been able to start reading again. I’m currently reading a book about anti-gravity.
It’s impossible to put down!

PSS: What do you call a fish with two knees? A “two-knee” fish!

 

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Hey Love Bugs,

We hope you are all happily settling in to your new/old lives at home! We miss you here and wanted to send you an update from Las Canas. We completed the bottle house and the family of 5 moved in! The basketball court in La Grua is also complete. All of your hard work has paid off. Thank you!

You all were able to bring individual personality to our situations. Whether playing cards or playing in the pool, there was opportunity for social interaction from all sides. As we worked through figuring out our group dynamic, your thoughtful actions shone through. You showed us the power you have to analyze your situation and respond in an appropriate and impactful way. Whether we were figuring out work strategies or enjoying a piña colada at the beach you all managed to adapt and bring some laughter with you.

Our family turned out to have true character. Remember how we all climbed Brison? Or how we mixed 25 bags of cement in one day to finish the base of a basketball court? You each found a strength to bring to our table; we hope you can remember that feeling and carry it with you no matter where you may be.

We are here. Reach out if you need anything and remember… NO PDA! haha

Thinking of you,
Leslie, Ellen, Natalie, Bethany, and Bony

 

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