7/4/2015

First day was really good, everyone met and got along. Our flights all came on time and we stuck together like flies on rice. We got to the lodge which is pretty cool and full of bugs that we are all deathly afraid of…. We have 27 kids on our trip and the names were challenging to learn, unless you’re Dana who knew everyone’s name the first night and where they were from.  From today you can tell it is going to be a fun and eye opening experience. Oh yeah, and it’s hot so I guess we have to get used to the humidity soon.

Molly

7/5/2015

Today we woke up to the delightful sound of a rooster crowing at 6:30. Eager to start off our day, we got our bags ready and headed down to the sight of bacon, bread, eggs, and fruit. After eating, we got on the much appreciated air conditioned bus to go to Cana Dulce, the service site we were working at today. After taking a tour to look at the Cacao trees, bee farms, and the local way of life, we separated into groups to do our work. We both were in the cement group in the morning, so we carried heavy loads of cement, sand (arena), and water to one of the local houses that needed flooring to improve the hygiene. After much mixing and masonry work, we were rewarded with lunch and a bit of free time to play with the community kids and dogs. After intense games of basketball and soccer, the two groups switched jobs, as some went to work on building bee boxes while others sifted sand for the cement. We returned back to the lodge and spent the next two hours at the beach, pool, and drinking coconuts. After a lively dinner, we learned the seven elements of human security and more specifically, got to understand unconscious bias and how its formed. We took a look at how we apply it in our own lives and how we can prevent it in the future. Lastly, as a Fourth of July celebration, we had a bonfire. We’re really looking to visiting the first batey tomorrow.

Dana and Rebekah

7/7/2015

The morning routine was the usual, but the rest of the day was far from usual. We faced a challenge with fitting everyone into a smaller bus. Although the space was limited, we as a group found a way to accommodate in order to make it to our destination. We were received by a welcoming Dominican family who showed us around their community while also kindly offering some tasty home-made arroz con leche. Later, our group was split into two, and we took turns visiting a chocolate factory run by 22 women.

The women are very dedicated to their long-term goal despite contradicting cultural ideals. Later, we diligently worked on improving a community center as well as a building the foundation of a close-by latrine. We were able to learn more about Dominican culture by doing hands-on activities and understanding the lives of the residents we met. After becoming muddy and sweaty, the pool together with tacos for Taco Tuesday was a great refreshment for everyone and a good end to an accomplished day.

-Joselin and Adrianna

7/8/2015

Today we returned to Veredita where we are helping to fix a community center. We started off by building a latrine that is going to be part of the new and improved community center. We also chipped off the brittle old paint so we can make it more structurally sound.

We also started a new room that we filled in with the paint chips – very innovative! The locals also jumped in and taught us faster and better ways to mix concrete, dig, and chip the walls. We learned that filling the room would be easier with and assembly line.

When we were done we had a human security meeting about the extinction of different foods and how GMOs are destroying local and family-owned farms. An example would be how there used to be around 3,000 different varieties of apples, but now 96% have gone extinct.

-Andrew Gonzalo & Eliason Talley

7/9/2015

La Union.

Today we spent the hot scorching day in La Union. We mixed cement to improve the floors of the struggling residents of the community, while experiencing groups of diverse kids coming from Haiti and the Dominican Republic. In addition to that, the local children were very interested in calling names to some kids based on their appearance. At first we were really shocked that they were so blunt about how we looked, but later that night in our Human security lecture we learned why culturally this happens. It is a way for them to identify people, instead of using names. The bus ride was more relaxing because we rode in the more roomy bus instead of riding in the smaller, scarce window space bus. However, today we went on a trip to the super market which had the best and only air conditioning, I felt, on the trip so far. Sadly, we could only stay for 20 minutes-then back into the heat. We are having a good time. Tomorrow is a relaxing day for us.

-Hakeem Elijah Mckoy
-Proof Reader: Marcus Soo

7/10/2015

Today was day 8 and also our day off of volunteer work. We traveled an hour southwest to Dudu Lagoon; which is a secret paradise. The adrenaline filled day ranged from cliff jumping to zip lining into the clear water of Dudu 😉 We also explored secret caves which reached depths of 190 ft. for many underwater activities.

After lunch, we played an intense game of volleyball and lounged under the sun. It was an overall great bonding experience between all GLA mentors and students. We cannot wait for another adventurous day in the Dominican Republic.

Writers: Jessica Mittelbusher and Jessica Connelly

7/11/2015 – Cano Dulce

Today the squad hit Cano again. The group continued to work alongside the residents to put cement floors in homes. We worked all day mixing cement for La Dona, tirelessly carrying heavy buckets of cement up a hill to fill up one of the largest houses in the village. On the other side of town, other GLA volunteers returned to their work for Johnny, the resident beekeeper, who tragically lost half of his bees to the deadly pesticide, Roundup. In order to streamline his process of collecting honey, we put the finishing touches on the “bee boxes” that they had worked on during the previous week by painting each frame bright yellow.

-Alex Young

7/12/2015 – Santo Domingo

This morning, we had a very early start. We took an arduous four-hour bus ride to Santo Domingo, the national capital. After a quick lunch, we explored the botanical gardens, and partook in exciting activities such as amateur bird chasing and scavenger hunting. After the botanical garden, we had a short fifteen minute bus ride to our motel. We relaxed and logged into the Wifi before heading out on the town. For dinner, we devoured many pieces of pizza. We then took a tour and learned the history of the capital.

-Starfish Holk and Waylon Wellborn

7/13/2015 – Peace Corps and Sustainability School

Today was a very cloudy day. We had breakfast at 8 and coffee at the hostel. Right after breakfast, we went to the Peace Corps office where a volunteer spoke to us about the service and how it stays sustainable with help from the government. The talk was very informational and inspirational. In addition to that, we took a long car ride that lasted longer than expected because of traffic. However, we spent the time either jamming out to songs or sleeping. We stopped to have lunch (chicken and beans again) then drove through the beautiful mountains where we stopped at an environmental school to learn about plants and their role in the community. We were also each able to plant a tree. We finally arrived to our lodge for the night, which has a nice view of the mountains. While we’re writing this, the mentors are preparing a healthy dinner for us to make the day complete.

– The Dream Team of 2015 (Rebekah and Hakeem)

7/14/2015 – Jarabaccoa

Today, the GLA team awoke to a beautiful sunrise in the lovely town of Jarabaccoa. As the beams of light slowly began to emerge from behind the balcony of trees, the students made their way out of the Eco lodge and into the dining pavilion. They were treated to a cereal breakfast with Wi-Fi and cold milk. The students then gathered on the bus before leaving for the waterfall. Many of the excited students hurried off the bus onto the path –filled with anticipation.

After the students finally made it to the waterfall, they split up into a series of groups; one group jumped into the icy cold water, one group went for a short hike, and the last group went sun bathing. Long, after spending 3-4 very short hours at the waterfall, the team got back on the bus to return home.

-Henry and Connor

7/15/2015

Caraballo

Returning to Caraballo brought back warm memories of piggyback rides and meaningful service with the local people we worked with. It was wonderful to see how far the bottle school has come, even in the two times we went to Caraballo. For a couple of hours, we worked in the heat, tirelessly mixing cement, and gathering materials such as buckets of water, we got from the river. Carrying the water was a difficult job and took lots of skill to avoid stepping in cow poop. In the back of the school, many students helped in building the foundations for the school, by sawing, hammering, and nailing wooden planks. Energized by a nutritious lunch of chicken, pasta salad, salad and fruit, we were able to accelerate our work and even completed cementing an additional room. While the day was filled with hard work, we got to take a break to have fun with the Haitian children, making friends and improving our Spanish. They are very up front, and liked to tell many of the girls (and some boys) phrases such as “I love you”. It was a day full of fun and excitement, but also meaningful service!

Ariel Bittelman

7/16/2015

La Veredita and Joba Arriba

Today was our third day visiting the community of La Veridita. Although, it was our first time working at Joba Arriba. Here, we worked on rehabilitating an old, broken water tank. We cleared debris, scrubbed the walls, and cemented as well. This community struggles with consistent access to clean water, if water at all. For that reason it was very important that we helped as much as possible. We also continued our job of working on the community center of La Verdita. It has been really exciting to see the process and growth that we have created since our first day at this job site. The difference in the condition of the community center was huge. We are looking forward to our trip to Dajabon tomorrow and the rest of our trip!

-Paige Carlborg and Maddie Molloy

7/17/2015

We woke up at 5:30 in the morning to get on a 4 hour bus ride for an eye opening, educational opportunity. Once off the bus, the group of GLA students assembled near the chaotic Haitian border to witness a true cultural shock. One of which was experiencing the movement of a large mass of Haitians carrying their goods across the river (where at one time 18,000 Haitians were killed) and through the bridge guarded by the military, to sell their products. Walking in separate groups into the packed Dajabon market place, we witnessed Haitians re-selling the relief materials that have been given to them. As some of us bought items (Connor a Godly necklace, Dana colorful bomb pants, and Alex an ostentatious hat) we discussed how these items were donated to the Haitians, and then sold to the Dominicans which is lead back to the American tourists. The long drive was well worth it today as we got to see, firsthand, the Haitians immigrating into the DR. Their land is so barren and desolate that they need to come to the DR for more opportunities, however they are not received well. This experience today provided a fast forward glimpse into what the future does hold; the environment is deteriorating, causing forced migration from the coast inland due to rising sea levels. As this is happening in Dajabon, it will also happen elsewhere due to our treatment of the world leading to major conflicts. Once we returned from the 5 hour ride back to the lodge, Liv gave us a motivating presentation about current voluntourism issues and how to impact the lives of others by showing them a way to be self-sufficient. “Give a man a fish he eats for a day; teach a man to fish he eats for a lifetime.”

-Connor and Dana

7/18/2015

Today the team traveled about an hour to the beautiful city of Puerto Plata. In the morning, we rode a cable car up the mountain Isabel De Torres. Once we reached the summit, we could overlook the pristine coast, bustling city, and rural mountain range. After spending the morning exploring the top of the mountain, we returned to Puerto Plata for a classic Dominican style lunch. Following that, we adventured to the coastline and explored a Spanish fortress. We learned about the history of Puerto Plata then spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the sun and coast. To wrap up our astounding day, we got ice cream and shared many laughs reflecting on our experiences.

-Teagan

7/19/2015

Today the group went to La Union and did cement work and collected plastic bottles to help build a plastic bottle school. At the work site, anyone could’ve seen how happy the local people were with us going into their community and helping cement their floors. We constructed these floors to prevent floods because the original floor was just dirt. This community is special since it’s a community with mostly Haitians (a batey.) In this community it was cool to see the people speak half Spanish and half Creole in one sentence. Also, a local person tried marrying a girl and called other people funny names.

Written by Ralph (ralphchoidagawd)

Edited by Rebekah

7/21/2015

The trip awoken to the sounds of roosters and dogs for another fabulous day of service and fun in the Dominican Republic. After breakfast, the crew went on the bus and headed to La Grua, a batey two hours away from the home base consisting of Haitians and Dominicans. At La Grua, we quickly began work on the bottle school. In three groups, we cemented, collected bottles and built up the foundations for the school. We were joined by locals who helped us work and made us smile as we assembled the walls of the school. After lunch of eggplant, bean salad, veggies and fruit, we got back to work and made great progress. The school looked to be coming along well, and the people seemed to be very gracious. In addition to working, we toured La Grua. It was surprising and disheartening to see that the river where most people got their water for bathing, cleaning clothes and even for drinking was contaminated and almost dried up. Water security is a major issue in the Dominican Republic, but with the help of many of the returnees and projects that are going on, people have been supplied with water filters. Leaving La Grua was bittersweet. Our last work day was sad, but the work we were doing was extremely memorable and fulfilling.

7/23/2015

All students have departed and are on their way home!

8/7/2015

All students have arrived and are ready for their program!

8/8/2015

Writing from a second day stand point, we are just starting to get the hang of things. It started off with flight arrivals ranging from early morning to late at night. This made it difficult to bond as a group, but once we hit day two things improved. The service we preformed was a village called Caño Dulce, and consisted of putting cement floors down in resident’s homes, and painting bee boxes. Working so closely with the residents was an eye-opening experience for everyone. These people live so different than to what we are accustomed. The children were interactive along with helpful and very interested in our phones. They followed us to lunch. After a day of hard work, we all went to the beach, and swam in the pool.

Needless to say, there is a very different style of living here. Between cold showers, no wifi, and humidity, there is never a dull moment. On the positive side, the beach is one hundred yards away and you open the door and the pool is right there. People we have met have been from all over the U.S., and two from Hong Kong. It’s amazing how people living far away can have things in common. So far, so good here in the Dominican Republic,
Over and Out

– Barrett and Gwen

8/9/2015

Today we traveled to Arroyo Blanco and helped some local Dominican people with a reforestation project. We started off our project with a 45 minute hike up to the village. When hiking up to the mountain we traveled through several streams where the only means across was to hop on rocks and walk across water pipes. When we arrived at the village, we divided into groups; one group filled small plastic bags with fertile soil and the other shoveled weeds out of three greenhouses and organized them. The greenhouses were at least 10 degrees hotter than the air temperature due to the fact that they were perforated black tarps. The work in the greenhouses was extremely grueling and within 5 minutes everyone was dripping in sweat which only brought us closer as a group. After an hour of shoveling we discovered a very handy tool, commonly known as the rake, which made our lives 10 times easier. We raked and shoveled the greenhouse weeds. We then had to fill the greenhouses with the individual bags of soil. Keira had the GENIUS idea to create an assembly line in order to transport the bags more efficiently than if we had carried them individually. After several hours of work we broke for lunch. We had a delicious meal next to a local’s home. Because we didn’t finish filling bags of soil and the greenhouses with the bags we had to return to another half hour of hard work. But thankfully immediately proceeding the additional work, we hiked about 15 minutes to a beautiful waterfall that served as a refreshing swimming hole to locals and us. We jumped from a 20 foot cliff into the water many many times before having to return back to the compound. After dinner, we sat through a leadership lecture by our Director Cameron. We participated in activities that raised our self-awareness and increased our leadership toolset. We also had a lecture by Giorgio about human security. Fun filled day!

– Libby & Keira

8/10/2015

La Grua is a community in the northern Dominican Republic, which is divided into two sectors by a road as well as a cultural barrier, the Dominican side and the Haitian squatter, which is locally called the “batey”. The Haitians were brought into La Grua for the sugar cane industry. When the sugar cane industry declined, their income was cut and they could not afford returning to Haiti. The team made a visit to La Grua and we were split into two groups. One went on a community tour to the Haitian squatter. We visited the river which is the only source of water for the residents, meaning which is also their bath water and drinking water. However, the riverbank is highly contaminated by garbage and oil. Then the group volunteered in picking up garbage in virtue of reducing the impact of environmental degradation. The kids living the batey also helped. The other group mixed cement and finished constructing parts of the bottle school. When the school is finished it will serve the locals as a school during the week and a community center during the weekend. While working we had the chance to interact with the local children, with dancing and music. The girls of the community loved to do the volunteers hair and take pictures with everyone. The whole day was wonderful and an experience we will never forget.

– Jaymie McMahon and Tso Shun Nam

8/12/2015

Today we went back to La Grua and finished cementing the bottle school, this included the floors and walls.Many of the local residents appeared to offer their help and support. Half of the group went on a tour of the Haitian batee, where they spent about an hour picking up garage from a local field and playing with children. Some of the kids followed us back to the school and joined us for some fun. We had lunch at the school and watched the children dance and play. Many of the children seemed to love having the company around. We came back to a fun afternoon of beach and pool time. Later in the night, we had an interesting conversation on the economic divisions within the United States and within the world. We were all surprised to see the just how concentrated the wealth was amongst the population. One fact that particularly stuck was that the top one percent of Americans controlled forty percent of the national Gross Domestic Product.

Surprisingly sleeping in these bunks aren’t that bad. Everyone woke up around 7:30am and got breakfast at8:20am. The food was pretty good which was prepared by these two Dominican women. We went to our first job site in Las Canas which is five minutes away from our home base. While there we helped finish building a bottle school that previous GLA members built. I started off the project by collecting buckets of water from a well down the hill. We used their water to mix the strained dirt and cement mix together to make cement. We used the cement to smooth out the back wall of the school/multi purpose building and to make a sidewalk along the side of the building. Eventually a bunch of the local kids came and I played games with them and drew. That was my favorite part of the day actually because interacting with the locals is such an amazing experience and all the stories were very interesting. I didn’t even know I knew so much Spanish before. Around noon we had lunch on the job site which was so delicious. At first I felt so bad eating around the kids but they actually ate with us too. The food went by so fast and you could see the children were starving. We left around 2 and we had an hour of free time so everyone just went in the pool and then freshened up for the kickball game. We walked five minutes down the road to a huge open field which was absolutely gorgeous with so many palm trees and it was right by the ocean. We Americans won in kickball against the Dominican kids. We came back home changed into bathing suits and went to the beach and met the 21 day program kids. We came back and had dinner at 6pm. The fruit and juices here are amazing! At 7pm we had leadership. Which is like talking about the community and what we learned that day. Its been so fun!

6/14/2015

All student have arrived safely and are ready for their program!

7/14/2015

Two words come to mind when one thinks of travel, the first being: strangers. The airport is comprised almost solely of strangers. Strangers, who in the case of the twenty students who connected through Miami, became friends. What many, myself included considering I hail from Massachusetts, learned immediately is that the East Coasters are severely outnumbered by the plethora of Californians, including a group of 5 best friends from San Francisco. Regardless of our geological difference, the group clicked easily and friendships melded further on the flight to Puerto Plata. Upon departure from the gate, we were met by a cheerful band of five Dominican locals playing what can only be described as dance-y Latin music.

Music that proved quite calming through an otherwise nerve-wracking experience at Customs. Once we departed Customs, we were met by an eager group of 20 some odd other GLA students, students who by our “fresh off the plane” standards were seasoned Dominican pros, having arrived a couple of hours before us. In lieu of introductions, we just threw ourselves onto the air conditioned haven that was the bus. The 45 minute ride to the home bus provided a shocking look into the economic disparity that plagues the Dominican.

The ride eventually led us down a dirt path that brought us to the home base. The home base proved to be a much more inviting environment than many thought. We dumped our suitcases and headed straight to the beach! The beach was one of the most beautiful places we’d ever seen. It certainly helped us work up an appetite for the delicious dinner of rice, beans, salad, vegetables, and chicken that we sucked down.

Post-dinner, we gathered for some icebreakers and then some quality pool time. Soon enough, it was time for bed in our new home with our new roommates in a new country. One thing was certain, we had proven that new didn’t always mean scary or bad.
Julian says hi to his mom.
Christian says hi to Shylo.
Rachel gives a shoutout to her main homie Lauren

7/15/2015

Today, we finally learned the true pain of the morning rooster. The brutal bird woke us up bright and early. We hung out in our room until our 830 breakfast which consisted of eggs, bacon, bread, fruit and potatoes. After breakfast we embarked on a journey to work on a bottle school and build a road in a neighborhood known as Las Canas.
Las Canas was a short drive down the road and home to two friendly families. We worked until 12 with few mishaps, save for Jessa losing the bucket in the well and almost having to retrieve it herself. Digging out rocks, weeds, painting, and laying cement proved exhausting work and the pasta lunch was a welcome, but not nearly as welcome as the bus ride to the beach that followed a couple of hours later.

Post beach, many chilled in their room or poolside in anticipation of dinner and later, a leadership exercise. Following that, we received an eloquent lecture from Giorgio on human security that proved eye opening. After, some took another dip in the pool whilst others retired to their room. Closing another great day in the Dominican Republic.

7/16/2015

Today’s adventure included the wonderful Carabello. Everyone enjoyed our journey to the friendly community. While half group of the worked on putting cement on a bottle school, the other half went on a tour of the community. It was divided into three sections including: a Haitian section, a Dominican section and an Haitian/Dominican section. Right off the bat the adorable children introduced themselves to us and stayed with us the whole tour. Many kids including myself bonded with the kids and even took pictures with them. After lunch we traveled to Cabarete, a fun beach town. It was there that everyone had the option to order smoothies and enjoy the ocean water. After laying out in the sun for a few hours we left and returned to the home base. From there we learned about human security and had a delicious dinner consisting of rice, watermelon, egg plant parm, carrots, lime juice and pork.

7/17/2015

We woke up on morning four, enchanted by the golden glow blanketing the trees surrounding the compound, then promptly preparing for the day’s adventure. Our trip to La Grua, a community an hour and half away from base, began at eight o’clock AM, 45 minutes later it was briefly derailed by a broken down bus. Nevertheless, an hour later, we arrived at La Grua, shovels in hand, ready to mix concrete and stack some bottles. Our project of a bottle school/community center in La Grua was unique to us because it was still at its beginning stages, and therefore we were able to experience the progress that we made throughout the day. The idea behind bottle construction is that it utilizes a cheap resource as insulation, while simultaneously cleaning the streets of this impoverished community. La Grua is split into two different factions, the Dominicans and the Haitians. Both impoverished, but due to a Dominican superiority complex, the Haitians live in a much deeper state of poverty. The land we were working on was on the Dominican side of La Grua, literally higher ground than the Haitian community, a trend seen as well in Caraballo. It was shocking, to see the gap in lifestyle between the two cultures; however, there was no difference between the Dominican and Haitian children when it came to the size of the smiles on their faces as we danced to Merengue, and other various music. After the dancing, and work came to an end, and we had the time to appreciate the progress of the 16 bags of cement mixed and applied, and the multiple sections of walls completed. We hopped on the repaired busses and headed home, reflecting on the impact we had their lives as well as the impacts they had on ours. We were ready to return in two days to finish the work we had undertaken. We’d like to close with an applicable, and favorite quote of ours, “See the good in yourself and feel the power to share it with others.”

– Josh Hampshire and Samantha Anderson

7/18/2015

We had a late breakfast at 8:30 a.m. and left for Dudu after a few days of hard work. After an hour drive we got to the eco park. The park consisted of a lagoon with cliffs to jump off of and a zipline that extends across it. The zipline is about 35 feet drop to the water and the cliffs are about a 40 feet drop. At the other side of the park there was another lagoon and a cave to explore. The water was crystal clear and very blue. It was so refreshing! There were also two ostriches to observe.

The more adventurous people jumped off the zipline and cliffs right when we arrived. Others explored the park and hidden caves. A lot of people did everything by the end of the day. People also enjoyed volleyball and soccer matches with some Dominicans and the mentors. Others lounged on the grass and in the hammocks.

We had fried chicken, rice, coleslaw, beans, etc. for lunch at the restaurant. All were disappointed that there wasn’t any ice cream, but some still enjoyed other small snacks. After another drive to the home base we had a nice Mexican Fiesta dinner with burritos, tacos, guacamole, and delicious lemonade. We then had another leadership program where we learned about the power of why we believe in what we believe in. We also enjoyed a documentary about where the world is headed in population and extreme poverty.

It was very nice after the hard work at the bottle schools. It was fun for all with relaxation and adventure in one day. A lot of people were able to test themselves and face their fears!

– Katherine Graham and Adele Hinkle

7/19/2015

La Grua Day 2:

Today we ventured across the island to La Grua, a community divided by Haitians and Dominicans. It was one of the worse off communities that we have seen. We continued service from the other day by filling in walls with cement and bottling them up. We got to appreciate the tools we have at home because when we ran out of hammers to use, so ullwe had to hammer in nails with rocks and we saw a really big spider that freaked most of us out but was seen as normal and harmless by the locals. On the community tour the kids differed from caraballo. Even though they had less money they were less dependent on us because we are the only operating NGO in the community. We increased our trust with them by picking up trash in the field and interacting with the kids. It was a wonderful day and we were happy to return home to swim in the ocean. Say Hi to Shylo and Isabel and emma –Christian J Rachel hollas at the crew at Blueberry Manor

Love your bloggers,
Dani and Katya and not Christian

7/21/2015

Today we woke up at 7 o’clock and ate bread, fruit, eggs and ham for breakfast. After breakfast we boarded the bus for a two hour drive to Brison Mountain. We hiked two and half miles to the summit in 90 degree weather. We stopped periodically and discussed the difficulties of the locals who have to hike the mountain every day. We learned that every day the children have to hike all the way up and down the mountain to attend school. The school was very small and consisted of eight grade levels who were taught by one teacher. At the top of the mountain we were rewarded by popsicles, a great lunch and a beautiful view. After taking several pictures, we made our way down the mountain. The trail was very rocky so we found ourselves tripping and sliding over all of the rocks. It was pretty funny. The trail was also filled with many animals including chickens, cows, donkeys, dogs and horses. After the hike, we hopped back on the bus. It wouldn’t have been so bad if it weren’t for the overwhelming smell of sweat and lack of air conditioning. When we returned, we spent time at beach and the pool to cool off. Next we ate dinner which included potatoes, chicken, rice, salad, and fruit. We then listened to a talk about national security from Georgio and watched a video about helping others. It was very interesting learning about how your expectations of a community’s needs differ from their actual needs. It’s most important to listen to the community members so know you’re truly helping these individuals. Once we had come together as a group to listen to the talks and discuss our day, we enjoyed some free time. Looking back on today, we realized how difficult the life of a local actually is. I can hardly imagine a life where you have to hike two miles to school and to obtain water for your family every day.
Samantha Anderson & Maddy Krueger7/23/2015

7/23/2015

All students have departed and are on their way home!

7/3/2015

All students have arrived safely.

7/3/2015

7/4/2015