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Friday July 13, 2018

Hey guys!

Welcome to our blog, it’s Julia and Lillian here to update you on Day 1! Today we learned how to mix cement. It was used to make floors! Floors are awesome-sauce cause they prevent disease. Talked to Jeremy he was pretty cool, played some b-ball outside the old school!

Got back to the lodge to get out the suns Dodge. Went to the pool, water was cool. Ate some dinner, it was a winner. Now we will go to bed so we Can rest our heads. Goodnight we will tuck our bed nets tight so the mosquito bugs don’t bite.

Sunday July 15, 2018

Day 3 has rolled around the corner with a similar theme: cement! Me, Joseph, and my fellow LOD (Leader of the Day), Aiden, led the troops today. We split up into several groups helping paint and build structure in Caño Dulce. The corner got us pretty dirty.

Back at home base we learned a lot about human security in the DR. Many of these privileges we take for granted arent available to the people of the communities. It allows us to get another point of view and check our privelege.

I can slowly start to feel we are coming together as a group. I’ve made some amazing friends, from all over North America. We miss you!!

Monday July 16, 2018

I have to say, for a Monday, today was pretty amazing. We ate breakfast then started our adventure to NY Chiquito community. We helped finish a community center by installing insulation with recycled plástico bottles. What a great day! Later, we ventured to a lovely beach and drank fresh piña coladas (virgin don’t worry!). We then learned about poverty on a global scale. What a day!

Tuesday July 17, 2018

WoW! What a fun excursion day we had in GHI-B!

First of all, the wonderful LOD’s predicted that we would have pancakes for breakfast. Those predictions were true (and delicioso!).

Then, we swam in the crystal clear blue waters of the Dudu Lagun, or as Mick calls it, the poop lagoon. (There no poo don’t worry!). Despite a little rain, we had a wonderful time playing volleyball and napping in hammocks. Luckily, everyone landed safely jumping from the zipline going across the lagoon. Overall it was a relaxing and refreshing break from all the hard work. And to finish off the day we channeled our dinner tourist in the local shops of la playa.

*Nora and Lauren says Hi!*

Thursday July 19, 2018

Hi parents and family (and dogs!)! Today we got to sleep in! We started off the day going to the local clínic and learning about the different levels of hospitals/medical centers. We then came back to the lodge and had a pool day. In the afternoon we practiced taking Blood pressure and heartrate for our brigade tomorrow. We finished off the night by dancing before getting a good nights rest for our early morning tomorrow. Today marks halfway. We cant wait to see what else is in store!

From Natalie and Alexandra

Sunday July 22, 2018

Hello family!

The last three days have been such a blast! On Friday we went to a Haitian batey community for our medical brigade. We worked with 3 local doctors to see over 80 patients! It was a very long, but rewarding day. We got to help do vitals, work with interrpreters for medical history, shadowing doctors in consult, and help Javier in pharmacy! After the brigade we got to stop in a supermarket that had Air conditiong!!!

On Saturday we went to Laguna Gri Gri and Playa Caleton. We took a boat ride through mangroves and the ocean and then spent the day enjoying the beach. Several people got their haird braided.

Yesterday we had our final day finishing up the bathroom in caño dulce! We are excited for our last two service days and our final day at yassica River!

Wednesday July 25, 2018

Hello everyone!

It is our last night here and we are all so sad to leave!! We are already planning trips to see Each other soon.

Yesterday we had our vitamin distribution day in the community called Nueva Yol Chiquito about 45 minutes away from home base. We saw 55 patients that were mostly kids, but also 3 pregnant women. 67% were normal weight, 26% underweight, and 7% overweight. It was a great day and we loved seeing all the little kids and babies!

Today we went to río yassica. We started seeing some lizards and turtles at a tiny zoo, then took a boat ride to the mouth of the river that met the ocean. We spent the day swimming at the river before taking the boat ride back. And stopping for ice cream!

We are sad to leave our Friends tomorrow, but excited to see our families and take a hot showers!

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Wednesday June 27, 2018

Arrival Day!

We have about half the group here in the DR! We’re waiting on a couple other students coming from Santiago later today, and some delayed flights will be bringing others tomorrow! We’ll continue updating the blog as more students arrive!

Thursday June 28, 2018

We have 4 more members with us that arrived last night! Waiting on the final 3 to arrive this afternoon, and can’t wait to meet them! Excited to begin the day working on the Caño Dulce bottle house!

We enjoyed a wonderful 4am wake up call from the neighborhood roosters. Then we got up (at 8), feeling so energized and had a good breakfast.

Then we learned about community ethics before hearing off to a cement-filled day. The first real workout of the week. We split up into our mentor groups and carried buckets of cement to the houses. The cement and bottles work as insulation which allows the rooms to be colder. After a few hours of work we went to get lunch, a yummy meal with delicious fruit, rice, pork, and vegetables. We worked again in the afternoon before returning back to home base!

After taking a swim test, group B was so punctual for dinner that we got to eat first for dinner. We met 3 New people in our group who arrived late (Katie, Vita, and Serina). We welcomed them with open arms. We then learned about the 7 elements of human security. We have had such a wonderful trip so far!

-by Allison and Eva

Friday June 29, 2019

Hey guys,

It’s Kelsey and Alice. Today we began our day with a battle between the roosters, dogs, and cows (again) to see Who could wake us up faster. Then we ate an amazing breakfast (we thank the staff). With our spirits up in the Air we made our way to Polanco which was really hot! Also, we had to hike up the Hills while carrying tools!

We had a great time digging trenches and became great Friends with the local kids. A few of us picked up some more Spanish along the way! The progress we made was amazing and the locals were really willing to show us the correct technique to complete our task.

After a long day, we cooled off by going to the beach, which was beautiful! A few of us had mini photo shoots while others enjoyed the peace and breeze. Our dinner tasted splendid, with french fries making an apperance!

We are looking forward to a stop at an AC supermarket tomorrow!

Peace out New York City gals!

Xoxo Kelsey and Alice

Saturday June 30, 2018

Hey, whats up you guys! Its your leaders of the day Lucie and Kyla coming at you with another blog!

After a night spent calling asleep to the relaxing sounds of our favorite neighborhood cows we woke up to the angelic cries of our friend the rooster.

We woke up an hour early ready to rake the 2 hour Trek to La Grúa. After a scrumptious breakfast we set off on our journey, Sporting our longest shorts and power braids.

We made it to La Grúa and began mixing cement to fill in the floor of a school house. Because of our New friend, Lauren, a 9 year old local, our efficiency rates went through the roof and we finished the project with time to spare.

We took a tour of the Haitian batey. While we were there, we Saw a different side of the island. This experience opened many of our eyes to another facet of the community.

We then boarded the bus, awaiting our arrival to the food filled, Air chilled supermarket! There we broke our health break, stocking up on junk food and Candy and…PLAYING CARDS (Lucie got an amazing deal). We made it back with time to put the cards to use, then watch an enlightening vídeo about the Haitian Dominican relationship. After gaining New knowledge, we spoke with the hilarious and driven Haitian, Louben, about his experience between the two countries.

We’re excited to put our New knowledge into Play throughout the rest of the trip and head to our adventure day tomorrow in Dudu Lagoon!

Alright thats it for this blog!

Lots of love home,

Lucie and Kyla

P.S. Lucie and Katherine’s dads, please figure out how we’re related (we have the same last name)

Sunday July 1, 2018

Hey Parents!

It’s Alexis and Milin reporting from the DR on Day 5!

We were all looking forward to this day, which was going to be filled with fun activities like always. Everything started great with a delicious breakfast with pancakes, eggs, and countless more options. We soon headed off to our destination, the amazing DuDu Lagoon. Once we got there, everyone had something to do, whether it was sitting in the shade, swimming, or even going on a 35ft tall zipline. Only a couple members of the group were Brave enough to try it out. While some of us were cooling off in the water, others explored caves that were part of the lagoon. It was soon time for lunch, in which we got Internet access, and a chance to purchase sodas and snacks.

But the day wasnt over, and after a Game of volleyball, the group headed to a beautiful beach, playa preciosa. We got an amazing view of the ocean and enjoyed piña coladas while we relaxed by the waves. There were opportunities to but souvenirs, swim, or dip our feet into the water.

The day was over as soon as it began, and we headed back to home base at 4:30, where we all had free time until a dinner of rice chicken. We got to explore leadership afterwards with an activity completes as a group. As fun as the day was, we were all ready for sleep with a lot to look forward to next week.

–Alexis and Milin

Monday July 2, 2018

After waking up to cows mooing and dogs barking, we started the day off with cereal and watermelon juice. We spent the day at Caño Dulce, building a house for the family of two of our favorite little children, one of whom is very sassy but very cute. We completes two cement floors, one septic tank, and ended our day with a surprise dead chicken, teaching us about the cycle of Life. An interesting lecture on food insecurity opened our eyes to works hunger issues, we are excited for a day of painting tomorrow, and ready to have more fun!!

Xoxo Joy and Margaret

Tuesday July 3, 2018

Hey everyone. We had a wonderful day today. We went back to Caño Dulce and we took turns painting this wonderful big blue house. (It looks like the house from “the bear in the big blue house”.) We also put up chicken wires and bottles for another house. Plus, we took a really cool tour through the community to see what other GLA programs have accomplished. On the tour we saw community centers, basketball courts, and other houses.

As we walked further we got to see a bridge made of chicken wire and went to see honey bees. When we came back to the lodge everyone was covered in paint and having so much fun! We all got nice showered to cool down and get clean and had a great lasagna dinner. Then we went to the beach to watch the sunset for Devon’s birthday. We also got many pictures and it was beautiful. And that’s the end of the day!

Love,
Serina and Chloe

Wednesday July 4, 2018

Hello familias!

Leah and Megan here, to tell about our day! We started out with a late breakfast, starting ay 8:30, consisting of toast with Nutella, eggs, and pineapple.

Around 9:00 we started with the clínic presentation that went over the basic instrucciones for the medical brigade. After that we went about 10 minutes away to a local clínic. The head doctor showed us around and gave us a basic rundown of what service they provide.

Then we went to the super market and everyone went Wild. Hopefully all the snacks we got will last us the rest of the trip. After we went to the market we came back to home base to relax and swim. Leah got sunburnt (sorry mom). We ate a great lunch of rice, beans, pork, and pineapple. We hungout for a few hours and then had dinner (Mac and cheese and lasagna!!)

Tonight we celebrated 4th of July with a pool party and bonfire! Today was a super fun and relaxing day for GHI-B. Lucky for us, tomorrow is another fun and relaxing day. Happy 4th of July and we miss you all!

Signing off Leah and Megan

Thursday July 5, 2018

Hey everyone,

Today we had another relaxing day adventuring at Gri Gri lagoon. The day began with a New breakfast, french toast!!! After that, we headed to the boat for a calming ride to what the locals call “a natural pool” in the middle of the ocean, where we could jump off into the water. We then ended the boat ride at the local beach where we swam, tanned, and snorkeled. We then ended off our beach day with a nice cold ice cream in the shade. Eventually we came back to the base, ate dinner, and all hung out together. See you guys soon!!

-Izze and Devon

Saturday July 7, 2018

Hey ya’ll it’s your LOD’s, Vita and Izzy coming at you. We woke up this morning excited to be working in El Bronx at a clínic. We were all assigned two Jobs for the day. We all got to help with the process of running the clínic, some of us were in registration, others in vitals, pharmacy, and a few shadowing the doctors. We saw 78 patients throughout all of them going home with medicine to help their conditions. After a long and warm day of work, we got to Talk and blow bubbles with the local kids. After that we took a community tour to see the living conditions the people that we were treating were experiencing. We then headed back to the lodge where we chowed down on fish, rice, Peas, sweet potatoes, and fruit. Our charla tonight was led by Michaela, where we talked about influence vs. manipulation. After, we were surprised with birthday cake!! We celebrated, Devon, Chloe, and Lucie’s birthdays and then danced along to our favorite songs.

Day 11- Hey guys!! It’s Stephanie and Cleo here. Today we had a late start and got to sleep in until 9:00am before our day at Polanco. We finished the digging for the water Pipes that will bring clean and fresh water to the communities. Everyone worked really hard today and got the job done very efficiently, so much so that we were able to leave at 2:30 and enjoy a nice day at the pool. After that, we enjoyed a lovely pasta dinner followed by a very informative lecture by one of our counselors, Javier, about the leading causes of deaths in high income and low income countries Plus ways to prevent them. Tomorrow we are excited for vitamin distribution day!

Monday July 9, 2018

Hey parents!

It’s Laura and Katie with your final blog post. Here are some highlights of the amazing past two weeks. After the past two weeks of hard work, adventures, and many meals of rice and chicken we all feel more like family (sisters) than Friends. From the begining of the trip when we had trouble taking cold showers, falling asleep with cows mooing and dogs barking, and remembering Each others names, we have had so many accomplishments. We learned the art of cement mixing, carrying heavy buckets, pick-axing, spanish, and how to run a successful medical clínic.

Most important we have learned about New cultures and communities, and have had many eye opening experiences. We wrapped up this increíble experience with a day at the beach and a dance party in the tropical storm, where we all got completely soaked. We are all so excited to go home and see you guys (and eat pizza), but we are all so sad to leave. Thanks for following along on this adventure with us, and later sleeping! We will tell you so much more about. See you all tomorrow!

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Monday June 11, 2018

Everyone has arrived! After 3 airport pickups, we decided to pick Miles up. Everyone’s excited to be at the lodge and to start working on a water project first thing tomorrow!

Tuesday June 12, 2018

Today we put our strengths to the test by digging trenches for five hours. Even though the three locals made more progress than all 11 students, we worked really hard in the sun all day. We ate lunch with the locals which everyone loved! Miles thrived with the shovel from his snow shoveling experience. Helen made lots of progress with the pick-ax while Ali and Elizabeth excelled in rake holding. Isabel used her Spanish speaking skills to communicate with some of the locals. Molly and Callia made the courageous decision to wear pants while working. Danielle’s favorite part of the day was “I’m glad moving the dirt around the road is over.” Emily’s favorite part of the day, “digging trenches at Polanco was draining, but it was satisfying and worth it in the end.” After working we went straight to the pool to rake our swim test. Luckily we all passed in the pool! We played lots of swim games. Most of us winded down for a nap while others went to the beach. Now we’re all waiting for dinner. It just started to rain which will cool things down. After dinner we have a lesson and tomorrow we will visitar a clínica!

By: Ryan and Viv

Wednesday June 13, 2018

Today we woke up to the sound of roosters and had mashed potatoes (and more) for breakfast. It was a day of seeing and trying new things. After breakfast we learned about the Dominican healthcare system, then we visited a clínica to see what we had learned in action. After a lunch of rice, pork, avocado, and fruits we took a trip to the beach and put our feet in the clear blue water. We then learned more to prepare us for our medical brigade day tomorrow.

Currently we are sitting under the palm tree roof of the dining room area as we write this blog. Lizards scamper across the ceiling beams, and the enticing aroma of dinner mingles with the ocean breeze. We are so excited to step into the shoes of Dominican doctors tomorrow and continue to learn about Global Health as it relates to Dominican culture! Hasta Mañana!

–Isabel y Danielle

Thursday June 14, 2018

This morning we woke up at 5:45 to see the sunrise on the beach. It was pretty but a little cloudy. Today we worked at a brigade clínica in the Haitian batey called severe. We went through a rotation of registration, interview, vitals, waiting, consultation, and pharmacy. There were a total of about 25-30 patients. On the way back we stopped at a grocery store with A/C and it was awesome! Overall it was a good day!

-by Elizabeth and Molly

 

Friday June 15, 2018

Howdy y’all!

Today we went to Laguna Gri Gri. We took a boat tour through caves and mangroves. We finished the tour at a beach where we spent the rest of the day swimming and snorkeling in the clear, blue water. Lots of us got corn rows from a local at the beach. We ate fried chicken for lunch and drank piña coladas in pineapples and coconuts (virgin of course) while a man serenaded us with his guitar. We found a sand dollar while snorkeling in the coral reefs. We met some local kids on the beach that swam with us.

“I spent most of my time tanning, and I got sunburnt. Sorry mom!”-Alli

We ended the day with ice cream and headed back to the lodge to relax. At dinner, Viv laughed so hard that she snorted three times. We are looking forward to our next adventure: the Caño Dulce bathroom and bottle house.

Love,

Alli and Emily

Saturday June 16, 2018

Callia and Helen speaking!

Started off with a hearty oatmeal breakfast, along with our trusty pineapple (which we have at every meal). Once we reached our service site, known as caño dulce, our job was to build a bottle house bathroom. It took a lot of determination and strengths to hike up the hill with all our supplies and an extremely large roll of chicken wire, which caused a few bumps and bruises. We reached the bathroom of the woman we are building it for. She kindly bestowed the group some mangoes to snack on while working. We conjured up quite a sweat hammering and attaching wire to posts and organizing bottle for insulation. Additionaly, we attempted to dig a 6 foot hole for the septic tank. Pecking around us were some odd looking chicken, which we watched while eating our chicken meal (Plus pineapple of course). Once we arrived back at the lodge, we chilled at the pool and jammed out to music. Next, we bought candies at the shop, following a Spanish lesson from our favorite instructors. It was definitely nice to decompress after a long fulfilling day.

 

Sunday June 17, 2018

Today our group got up bright and early to eat breakfast! After breakfast, we prepared for our trip to the local market. We separated into 3 groups and attempted to ask for directions only in Spanish which was much easier for some compared to others. Each group was successful with buying three plantains for dinner. Then we left for Polanco to dig those trenches again with less progress than was made the first day. We all chatted and prácticas our Spanish with the locals. We ate a lovely lunch at one of the locals’ houses and then continued digging. Since UV rays are higher here, we ended our work day a little early. We walked up a hill on a mini hike and looked at a beautiful view. We walked back down to the bus and rode back to the lodge. Some of us jumped in the pool while others napped. Then we ate dinner (which was fish instead of chicken!!!!) All in all, it was a 10/10 day! 🙂

-Ryan & Miles

Monday June 18, 2018

Today we went back to Caño Dulce for the second time. We enjoyed the cooler weather and kept a positive vibe during our hard work! Our hole for the septic tank was originally 3ft when we started and then we ended at 5ft! It was the bomb.com! We had some trouble hammering planks of wood because they split, but eventually we snagged a few.

Some quotes from the day:

“My hand fan saved the day,” a quote from Isabel, whose hello Kitty fan chilled us all out.

“Even thought I split the wood 2 times, I never split my pants!” says Allie.

We had a great time today! See you all in 5 days!

-Love Helen and Viv

Tuesday June 19, 2018

Today we woke to a little taste of home when Nutella was served with breakfast. We then learned how to make tostones, a classic Dominican plantain treat, for our day trip to the Yasica River. At the river, before our boat ride, we got to snap some pics of iguanas, tarántulas, and even a chicken-eating crocodile! We then took a relaxing boat ride through the mangroves until we reached a beautiful stretch of beach. We swam in the pretty blue water and had garlic chicken and piña coladas (virgin of course) for lunch.

After our long day at the beach we got to go to a local ice cream shop! After our leadership seminar tonight we are looking forward to putting our skills to good use tomorrow while mixing cement in a Dominican batey. We are having so much fun but cant wait to see you all in a few days and share about all of our adventure!

-Danielle and Isabel

Wednesday June 20, 2018

Today we traveled 2 hours to La Grúa and mixed cement for the first time. We we’re making a cement floor for an older man Who happened to be undergoing dialysis. It took all our Blood, sweat, and tears but we got through it. We we’re helped out by a local man Who came armed with great music and some sick dance moves. After our hard work, Michaela and Katherine broke out the cheese and chips for a delicious Nacho lunch. Thankfully, today we were protected from the hot Dominican sun by the surounding mango trees. On the way back we stopped at our favorite (Air conditioned) grocery store to stock up on ice cream and m&ms. Looking forward to our last few days in the DR!

-Miles and Callia

Thursday June 21, 2018

Today we went back to Caño Dulce to finish the bathroom. We mixed cement for the second day in a row and then plastered it on to the walls. We took a break and had rice, beans, chicken, and pineapple for lunch. After chatting for a little, we got back to work!

No one fell in the hole we were digging, but Ryan fell to the ground laughing. Local kids from Caño Dulce would come see the worksite, and a local dog too (we named him Paco). After returning to the lodge, some of us went swimming, then we showered to get the cement off our hands. For dinner, we had boneless fried chicken, fried, sweet plantains, fruit, and really good juice. Looking forward to distributing vitamins tomorrow!

-Emily and Molly

Friday June 22, 2018

Today was our last work day! We got the chance to sleep in until 8:30! Ryan ran. We went to school to run a vitamin distribution. We got through 60 patients! Callia and Isabel worked at registration, Emily, Molly, and Helen worked at vitals and dealt with lots of crying babies. Ryan, Danielle, Viv, and Elizabeth worked at interview and used lots of Spanish! Finally, Allí and Miles worked at the pharmacy section and sorted gummies. When we got back to homebase everyone fell asleep. Ryan and Viv went to the beach and did some meditation while everyone else refused to wake up. We had our second debate tonight, dinner, and a charla! We are all excited for our day tomorrow at the lagoon!

-Viv and Ryan

Saturday June 23, 2018

It is strange how when the program starts, time seems to move at a snail’s pace. Then, as we move through the weeks, time starts flying and I can no longer remember what day of the week it is.

This summer is the first time that I have ever been a part of something like GLA/7 Elements. I never went away to a summer camp as a kid or volunteered in a foreign country as a teen. I have also never been responsible 24/7 for a group of teenagers for two weeks straight. I had no idea what to expect when I signed up for this job, but I am glad I was able to spend the start of the summer with a perfect group.

I feel very fortunate that for my first time having this experience, I was gifted with the GHI-B group, made up of 11 brilliant, fun, and hardworking students. I am so happy that I had the chance to learn from them and grow with them as we experienced so many new adventures together as they moved through the global health program. Each student made a lasting impact on me and really set the bar impossibly high for every group that follows.

To all GHI-B, thank you for an amazing two weeks! I loved learning about each of you as individuals and seeing how successful you were when you joined forces as a group.

Miles, thank you for being such a trooper. I’m sure it wasn’t easy being the only boy in the group but you embraced the challenge and totally crushed it. You set an excellent example for the others for what hard work really looks like! (You are also the best rap lip-syncer I know!)

Viv, thank you for always being understanding, level-headed and kind. You have a beautiful spirit and I loved your dedication to everything you attempted. You did an amazing job and you are hilarious, so I was always cracking up.

Molly, you are so brave and willing to try new things. I love your adventurous spirit, willingness to voice your opinions to the group, and how fearless you were when you were the first person to take on the 35ft drop into the lagoon. Also, your dark sense of humor is so funny to me!

Isabel, it is really amazing to me how confident and comfortable you are in your own skin. I love that you are so willing to dance and sing as if no one is watching. Thank you for being so helpful and kicking butt at all of the brigades.

Helen, thank you for always being able to dish out jokes and take them too! You were a great leader and I really appreciated how consistent you always are. I always knew that I could count on you for good work and 100% effort.

Alli, thank you for 2 weeks full of laughter and stories! I love how self-aware and introspective you are. You are a wonderful person, full of insight and with a heart of gold.

Ryan, talking with you was like talking to a very witty and intelligent adult. You have powerful thoughts, great ideas, and a remarkable point of view. I really love your sense of humor and the way you could brighten other people’s days (after you had your coffee).

Emily, you have a very strong will and aren’t afraid to vocalize your views to the group. I was really impressed with how fast you work things out in your mind and how quickly you can come up with solutions and make adjustments as needed.

Callia, you are such a genuine and sweet person. I loved being around your positive energy and it was so nice to always see your smiling face. Thank you for being so wonderful and always having a willingness to learn.

Liz, I really loved all your funny faces and I loved it even more when you didn’t know you were making them. You worked incredibly hard at work sites, really helped to keep others motivated, and provided back up as needed. Thank you for always being so effortlessly generous and nice.

Danielle, thank you for always keeping the laughs going. Your laugh is infectious and I really enjoyed getting to know you as you became more and more outgoing with us. Thanks for making the two weeks to entertaining and letting us see all the pics/videos of you know who! I’ll be waiting for my real housewive’s shoutout!

-Love Michaela

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Sunday July 29, 2018

After a great summer of Global Health programs, mentors and directors made their last trips to the airport to pick up students. Students arrived throughout the day and then eagerly awaited for the whole group to be together. After health checks and swim tests, students were served a traditional dinner of rice, chickens, beans, salad and fruit. We are excited to meet the remaining 6 students coming in tomorrow and can’t wait to kick off a wonderful two weeks filled with learning and adventure. Here’s to a great session!

Much love,

Mentors and Directors

Monday July 30, 2018

Hey parents!! Today was our first day in the DR, and it was honestly better than I expected. Yes, it may be extremely hot, and we may have been covered in sweat, sunscreen, bug spray, concrete, paint, and dirt for the majority of the day today, but I think for the most part we all had a good day. We got up, ate breakfast, then had a presentation on community ethics to start off our day. At about 9:40, we divided into three groups and headed out for Cano Dulce to help make concrete speed bumps, cement a bathroom, and paint a house for a well-known community member.

We are getting the hard labor out of the way first, thank goodness!! 🙂 While making concrete for speed bumps, all of us in my group talked, laughed, and got to know each other pretty well. I think I finally know everyone’s names! At around noon, we had a lunch break and then switched stations with other groups. Mine got to go paint, sorry to the groups who had to concrete twice today lol. Painting was really sweaty (but fun) as we listened to music and talked more while we did it. After about 2 hours of that, we all got together again to take a community tour of Cano Dulce. It was a really interesting and eye-opening experience, as the people, children, and dogs are all so friendly and welcoming when we come into their community.

We got another (short) taste of air conditioning on our way back to home base, then did swimming tests and had some free time to shower and finally get all of the gross stuff off of us J. Dinner was good, then we played an icebreaker to get to know each other better. The lesson of the day, The Seven Elements of Human Security, was really interesting and educational. Even though it’s only our first real day here, I can tell all of us are going to enjoy ourselves whilst learning a lot of new things. I can’t wait for the rest of the trip, I think it’s going to be a really fun time. Also, I love you mom!!! J

-Danielle, Samantha, Audrey

Tuesday July 31, 2018

Hola Padres & Familia

Checking in are the leaders of the day, Lucy A., Noelle, Clara, Sierra.

Today everyone woke up with the amazing wake up call of Clara saying “wakey wakey eggs and bac-y”. After eating the delicious desayuno, we walked to “Las Canas”. We were there to contribute and work with local masons to provide a space for a soon to be family. A mother and a father started building a house 2 years ago but couldn’t finish because of lack of resources, and we came to lend them a hand to finish the cement flooring. This is beneficial because it helps stop the spreading of diseases, such as scabies and many respiratory illnesses and rashes. A few hours of moderately intense sweating later, we walked back to home base. Most of us promptly hopped in the pool upon returning, and shortly after we headed out to see the ocean. There we collected rocks, shells, and and the most mild of sunburns. We were greeted with incredible food after the beach including but not limited to, rice, curry-esque soup, fresh pineapple, cantaloupe, avocados, broccoli and cauliflower. Following this fantastic meal, we eloquently enter a heated debate centering the rights of property, profit, and life and how they play a role in the health of a nation. Now we are here, left in conversation, preparing for bed.

Wednesday August 1, 2018

Hey yaaaaaaaaawl!

Day 4 in the DR, started out with an extra hour of sleep! We had a leisure breakfast followed by a clinic presentation. We then took a trip to Sabaneta to tour a clinic and learn about a day in the life of Dr. Pena. Through this process and a Q&A, we got to learn more about an average local clinic in the DR and how it contrasts clinics elsewhere in the world. When we got back to the lodge, we had some free time and either went to the beach or relaxed by the pool. Soon after, Dr. Pena came to the lodge and taught us how to correctly use different medical tools to take vitals. We then practiced our skills during a simulation clinic. After an amazing meal of TACOOOOOS we had an interesting lecture about the relationship between the DR and Haiti, and even had a guest speaker, Lubens, come and answer our questions. Finally, we had our mentor groups and headed to bed!

P.S. Today is the day that everyone had successfully passed their first bowel movement, thanks to beans and papaya!

Signing out,

Nuray, Ellie S, and Madison

Thursday August 2, 2018

Hello from the Dominican Republic!

Today could not be described as anything less than an adventure. The day began with breakfast and a scenic bus ride to Dudu Lagoon. With a little convincing, the majority of us took a plunge of 35 feet off the zip line into the clear, blue freshwater. Dudu consisted of cave explorations, zip lines, soccer with local children, and WIFI!! (finally)

After lunch we said goodbye to the beautiful Lagoon and hello to la playa! We laughed in the waves, bought local jewelry, and soaked up the sun. We felt VERY fancy drinking a piña colada out of a pineapple on the beach. Afterwards we were exhausted, so a short nap on the way home was well needed.

Back at the lodge, we dove deep into a lecture about the impacts of NGOs and a conversation involving poverty and “doing good.” We attempted to answer the question, “How can we help most effectively?” All of us were moved tonight, and we each gained a new perspective on international aid.

Bye mom! Miss you 🙂

Love,

Michaela, Sara, and Cate

PS: PINEAPPLE IS AMAZING HERE

Friday August 3, 2018

Just survived Day 6 in the DR!!

This morning we all came to breakfast ready to go because we had to leave earlier then usual to go to El Bronx. After a 45-minute bus ride we arrived to set up our medical brigade. We all had different assigned roles such as registration, vitals, clinical interviews, doctor consultations, pharmacy and data transcription. At 12 we took turns to take a lunch break at “El colmado,” the corner store.

Then we switched roles and worked hard for a couple more hours until we reached patient 81. Helping us out today, we had a translator named Junior who could speak English, Spanish, and Creole. He is also practicing his British accent so that he can be fluent in a fourth language! We then headed back to the lodge and enjoyed our free time relaxing by the pool with our our super photogenic dog, Ernie. We all love his kisses (especially those who miss their puppies at home).

We had a delicious dinner of lasagna, fried plantains, salad, potatoes, and as always, delicious fruit. After dinner, Guillermo gave a lecture on environmental security. We learned about the different effects of climate change and watched an interesting video called “The Story of Stuff.” Once the video concluded, we headed to our mentor groups to discuss the day and our capstone projects. To conclude the day, we headed to dance class where we learned “bachata” and “merengue” where many of us learned to shake our hips in ways we never thought possible. Now we are ready to head to sleep with sore muscles and tired minds.

Almost halfway there,

Bryn, Lucy, and Emilia

Saturday August 4, 2018

Hey friends and family,

We started our day with a delcious breakfast consisting of eggs, fresh fruit, toast, and the well loved frosted flakes. We then loaded the bus and headed back to El Bronx to work on their community center. We used plastic bottles to insulate their walls, making their center much cooler. After the bottles were set in place, we used a cement technique called “empaneta.” This finished off their walls smoothly. Mid day, we stopped for a well deserved lunch break of nachos and, as always, fresh fruit. After lunch, we worked until 3:00 then headed back to the lodge.

At the lodge, we spent our free time taking long showers trying to get all the cement out of our hair and off our skin. We also made friendship bracelets and hungout with our new friends in the common area, while stretching out and doing yoga with one of our team leaders. We then enjoyed a dinner of fish, rice, peas, salad and fresh fruit. After dinner, we headed down to the beach to watch the sunset.

After watching the sunset, we enjoyed Hilary’s lecture on Food Security. It was very eye opening and many of us may be coming home vegan…;) We then had a nice talk with our mentor groups about the previous week and what we want to make out of our last week here. We cannot believe we are already halfway through our program! We miss our families yet do not want to leave our GLA family.

XOXO,
Ellie H, Grace, and Jackson

Sunday August 5, 2018

Jake, Sidd, and Kendall sliding into the blog, today, we re visited Cano Dulce and painted bathrooms and concreted the floors. We also went to Johnny’s bee farm, where we sampled honey fresh off the wax, then we went to get icecream, from Bon. Then we enjoyed our ride home in air conditioning, a very rare occurrence here in the DR. After coming back from the ice cream shop, we participated in a leadership activity, that taught us the traits that comprise a great leader. After, during mentor groups we discussed our cap stone projects, and stargazed (Guillermo’s mentor group). After that, we hit the zzz’z. (BTW Kendall xoxoxoxoxo to parents)

Monday August 6, 2018

On our free day, we went to a Zoo where we saw local Dominican animals such as a Komodo Dragon, a Tarantula, and a fully grown Crocodile. We adventured down the Yasica river to where the river met the Atlantic Ocean. At the bed of the river, we jumped off the rustic, traditional Dominican boats into the water and spent time there swimming and bonding. Later we ate lunch at a nearby grill where they served traditional Dominican foods, and we drank refreshing Pina Colada’s and Coco Loco’s. We retreated back to the beach and spent the rest of our time there relaxing and getting to know one another better. On our boat ride back, we got to see wind surfers showing off their cool tricks and experience our first rainfall of the trip.

Tuesday August 7, 2018

Hey Mom and Dad!

We had the best day ever today! We began with the first day of Vitamin Distribution. We gave vitamins to children and expecting mothers. We got to see common health problems (like malnutrition) in the DR, practice our Spanish, take vitals, and hand out vitamins.

Then, our mentors surprised us with a trip to the beach! The sand was SO HOT, and the water was so clear! After the beach, we got to stop by the supermarket where we all stocked up on snacks… maybe too many snacks;)

We arrived home at the lodge where we ate dinner, then listened to a lecture about Health Security in developing countries. Javier educated us on the importance of education to prevent disease, limit injury, and help improve personal health. Later, we broke into mentor groups to work on our capstone projects. When we finished working on our capstone, we ended our day with a movie night!

We’re pretty tired, so goodnight!

Love,

Lily, Cate, and Lucy

Thursday August 9, 2018

Today was a very exciting day! It was the first water filter distribution of the summer. We woke up early and came to breakfast ready to go. After breakfast we assigned jobs for the water distribution- ticket collection, filter assembly, taping instructions onto the filters, and data transcription. We loaded up onto the bus and headed to El Bronx. When we got to El Bronx we split into our mentor groups and headed off into different sections of the community to complete diagnostics. During diagnostics, we went to different houses and asked questions such as how many kids do you have, what source of water do you use, and what do you use the water for. The answers to the questions were assigned different point values. In order to receive a water filter, a total score of 14 points was required.

The people that met the requirements were given a ticket to come to an education session later in the day. After a long, sweaty morning, we headed to lunch were we ate NACHOS!!!! It was a delicious meal (a crowd favorite) and to make it better there was the cutest kitten on the planet that we got to play with. After lunch we attended the education session where the community members were taught the proper care for their filters. We assembled and distributed the filters to 14 families, providing them with clean water for the next 10 years!!!

After returning to the home base, we had free time that we spent making bracelets and swimming in the pool. Dinner was amazing- potatoes, rice, eggplant, salad, lots of fruit, and lemonade. We ate a lot and then we had a very interesting lecture with another group staying at the lodge called Summer Search. The lecture was about ethics, voluntourism, and how to ensure we are being respectful of cultural norms. Now we are stargazing and enjoying our second to last night together L L L It was a great day and we can’t wait for tomorrow.

Love,

Lucy J, Clara, Emilia