Time Capsule Letter

Hola hola!

How times flies! 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. From all of us on the lodge, we want to say thank you for your effort, participation and energy that you put into the global health track projects this Spring Break. We could not of done it without you!

We have fond memories of waking up to the smells of pancakes and the loud squawks of the neighbouring goats and guinea fowls. Of heading on our way to work sites and hospital visits, amongst the intermittent pouring rain and glorious sunshine. And the adventure days, the beautiful waters, delicious fresh virgin pina coladas and white sandy beaches. 

We know that you guys are probably back with school, 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.

You will forever be a part of the work done at Cano Dulce, you guys started the hard work in building a bathroom for Gabriel and his family. Having access to a bathroom is so integral to overall health, access to sanitation and dignity. The children at Las Canas school will always remember you as the first every vitamin distribution at their school. And you all go down in history as the largest medical brigade done by only 7 students!! Thank YOU for all your effort and hard work.

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.

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.

Allison, you were a superstar the entire program, we are blessed you got to celebrate your 17th birthday with us.

Emily, we hope to see you a third time here! We still talk about how impressed we were with you saving the bird in your bathroom

Ethan, your comments and questions during reflection time were impeccable. Keep expressing yourself and those bright thought you have.

Jessica and Lilly, you two were the dream team, you worked so well together in the community and demonstrated to the rest of the group what cooperation means.

Kaia, we were blown away by your maturity, curiosity and dedication. You are a were a model student.

Rohir, you were such dedicated laborer  in all aspects of the program, you worked so hard on that septic tank hole and still had energy to work out nearly everyday!

GHT – you were amazing!

Please stay connected! 

Abrazos,

Hilary and Loubens 

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Saturday March 9, 2019

Hola Padres!

All Global Health Track students arrived safe and sound in the Dominican Republic!

The first day was very relaxed, as most had experienced a long journey to get to the tropical destination. The beach was visited and some swim tests were done at the local pool at the Indalo lodge. Students did some ice breakers before sitting down for orientation and community ethics reflections, in order to get fully prepared for the busy, exciting, fulfilling week ahead!

Sunday March 10, 2019

Hey Folks!

Today was the first day working on the Global Heath Initiative and we went to Cano Dulce. We worked on a bottle house bathroom for Gabriel and his family. We started by measuring and fitting chicken wire to one side of the frame. We then strung wire up on the other side and filled the inside with empty plastic water bottles collected by the local community. We had a traditional lunch at another locals house, and ate fresh organic honey that he makes form his bees.

We are nearly done on the first day and we are all ready for bed! We came back and relaxed by the pool and at the beach before dinner and after we learned about Human Security. An exciting, grueling, fun-filled day for GHI but we can’t wait to get out tomorrow!

 The best group leader, Allison

 

Monday March 11, 2019

Hola hola,

Today we were able to tap into the medical aspect of our trip. We spent the morning learning about the different sections of a medical brigade and tried our hand in some practice situations. By 11 o’clock, we were inside the walls of a local clinic and shadowed a doctor, who taught us how she runs the clinic and about the medical system in the Dominican Republic.

After a filling lunch, we headed to the nearby school, set up stations and distributed multi-vitamins to children. The children came to us with the widest smiles and the biggest hearts! This was a great opportunity for us to practice spanish and learn more about the ways of the life of the Dominican people. After some relaxation and dinner, the GLA groups viciously debated a topic related to the DR. The night was finished off with some more relaxation and lots of laughs!

Saludos,

Lilly and Jessica

Tuesday March 12, 2019

Hello Parents,

These past couple of days have been filled with hard work from all the kids. Today we went to Dudu Lagoon where we relaxed and swam by a sparkling blue lagoon. The kids soaked up the sun, played volleyball, and explored a small cave near the lagoon.

After a delicious lunch at Dudu Lagoon, we went to Playa Grande Beach. Everyone laid on the warm sand where we were served pina colodas in hollowed pineapples. We also went in the ocean and swam along with the big waves that washed upon the shore. Today was a very peaceful day to enjoy the beauty of Dominican Republic and relax.

Hasta Pronto,
Rohir

Wednesday March 13, 2019

Dear everyone at home,

We are having the best time ever. Today we went to Polanco on brigade trip.We had just under 50 patients and worked from 10:00 am, to 2:00pm (With breaks for lunch of course). We learned many games the children played and got to experience an official medical brigade.

After the brigade we came back to base to enter data and have free time. Then we learned about Hatian and Dominican history from our very own counselors Loubens and Junior. Today was full of eye opening experiences and we’re exited to work on our bottle bathroom tomorrow.

Love,
Kaia and Emily

Thursday March 14, 2019

Hey folks,

Today we returned to the village of Cano Dulce where we continued the task of building a bathroom out of empty plastic bottles. Far ahead of the expected pace, we started the task of mixing and spreading cement. The heat made this assignment particularly strenuous. While part of the group work on the bottle bathroom, the others started digging a hole (7 x 6 x 4), in which the septic tank would be placed. Digging was also grueling due to the heat.

We ate lunch at the same house as Sunday, again enjoying a traditional Dominican meal that consisted of pork, rice, and vegetables. As the day grew to its completion, we had made a large dent in the septic hole, and almost completed the cementing of the walls in the bathroom. At the end of the hot day, Hilary treated us to ice cream, and we returned to the lodge around 4:00. We truly enjoyed the opportunity to not only help those in need, but also talking, playing, and practicing our Spanish with the lovely residents of Cano Dulce!

Hasta pronto,

Ethan

Time Capsule Letter

Hola hola!

Time goes so fast! We cannot quite believe it has been so long since our amazing week in the Dominican Republic ended. We wanted to say hello, and remind you of your lasting impact here in our communities.

We have fond memories of waking up to the smells of pancakes and the loud squawks of the neighbouring goats and guinea fowls. Of heading on our way to work sites and hospital visits to the sounds of merengue and bachata, passing past the palm trees in the glorious sunshine. And the adventure days, the beautiful waters, delicious fresh pina coladas and white sandy beaches. 

We know that you guys are probably back with school, 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 positive impact in Cano Dulce, Nueva York Chiquito and Las Canas.

You will forever be a part of the work done at Cano Dulce, you guys started the hard work in building a bathroom for Gabriel and his family. Having access to a bathroom is so integral to overall health, access to sanitation and dignity. The local children will always remember you as the first GLA group to distribute vitamins in their community. And you all go down in history as one of the most successful medical brigades in Nueva York Chiquito! Well done guys! Thank YOU for all your effort and hard work.

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 difference to the wellbeing of people all over the world.

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.

You were a superstars throughout the entire program, your comments and questions during reflection time were impressive. Keep expressing yourself and those bright thought you have.

As a team, you worked so well together in the community and demonstrated what cooperation means.

GHT – you were amazing!

Please stay connected! 

Abrazos,

Hilary, Mark and Loubens

Click here to jump down to the most recent posts! 

Sunday March 17, 2018

Hey parents!

Today we were woken up by roosters and goats! After a fantastic wakeup call we had fried cheese, eggs, toast, and hot chocolate. Once fueled for the day, we went to Cano Dulce Bathroom. At the bathroom we dug a 8 foot hole for a septic tank, painted the outside of the house and inside blue, and last but certainly not least, we built bottle based walls.

Seeing how much progress that we made in the 6 hours we were there was amazing! We were able to make a HUGE dent on the hole, finish all the bottle walls, and we even practically finished cementing the walls of the bathroom! It truly was amazing seeing how we impacted Gabriel’s life. We talked about how bathrooms were important for hygiene, privacy, and sanitation.

For lunch we were able to interact with the locals and were able to go to a house for lunch! There we continued our rice and beans tradition and were able to try honey combs from their bee farm. After service we came back to home base and were able to relax and we had our swim test. After passing the swim tests we were able to walk a minute right to the beach!!!

From doing yoga, to walking the beach, we were able to make the most of our first beach trip. Once we returned we had dinner which consisted of pasta, fried fish, fruit, plantains, and a very yummy juice. After dinner we had a reflection time where we learned about the 7 elements and their impact on not only the Dominican Republic Society, but also in the United States. After this we were ready for bed. It was a very rewarding day and we can’t wait for the rest of the trip. Tomorrow we have medical training and vitamin distribution!

Adios for now,
Sarah Bryan

Monday March 18, 2019

Hey folks!

Today was an eventful and eye-opening day for the GLA team. We started the day with medical training to prepare us for our medical brigades. We learned how to take vitals(BP, heart rate, temperature etc), how to organize vitamins, and deal with patients.

After our medical training we took a tour at the local hospital and got a presentation from a local doctor. We had a chance to ask questions and expand our view of the health care in the Dominican. Later, we set up a medical popup clinic in Cano Dolce for the local children and pregnant women. It took teamwork, organization and handwork but was a lot of fun!

After a fun afternoon of hanging out at the beach and by the pool we started an engaging debate. We discussed the ethical controversy of tourism, and building new attractions in the DR. Overall today was a productive and thought provoking day.

See you soon!

Pippin and Marin

Tuesday March 19, 2019

Hey guys!

Today we had a fun and relaxing day after two days of hard work. We went snorkeling in the waters of Sosua, where we saw many different kinds of fish in the clear blue waters. For lunch we had a Dominican Republic Delicacy — pizza! Then we went shopping at the local stores and bought types of jewelry, t shirts, and other souvenirs.

We finished the day with a relaxing tan on the beach, and headed back to home base. We then ate dinner, and watched a competitive soda chugging contest (45 bottles of soda) by four brave competitors from another GLA group. Overall a great day, which we finished off with watching a documentary about climate change.

To end the evening we split off into mentor groups and discussed what we have learned in the program and what we can do . Looking forward to another great day tomorrow with our medical brigade!

-Ava and Kate

Wednesday March 20, 2019

Greetings from the D.R!

Alyson and Hannah here! Reporting for duty, as your Leaders of the Day!

This morning, we were awoken by the demands of the day. We began by eating a balanced beakfast of eggs, toast, fresh fruit and hot chocolate. Our journey began at El Bronx for our Medical Brigade day. Students served the community by assisting doctors in registration, pharmacy positions, taking vitals and entertaining children. We each made transcending connections with the 63 patients we treated.

From 8 am to 2 pm we were hard at work. Arriving back to the lodge, many students hung out poolside & beachside (and a handful of us even took lengthy naps!) After a long day at the Medical Brigade which was truly an eyeopening experience, one of the most powerful connection all of us made throughout the day was with two of our Hatian staff members. We had an open discussion about racisim between Dominicans and Hatians after watching a short film called “Divided Island,”.

We wrapped up the evening with a new aspiration to make a difference.

By Hannah and Alyson

Thursday March 21, 2019

Good day families!

A wonderful beginning to a beautiful day with pancakes and fresh fruit and an amazing banana smoothie all prepared by our amazing cooks. We left for our adventure on an overcrowded, hot and sweaty bus. Our task for the day was to finish Garbriel’s bathroom, paint his home and finishing the giant hole for the septic tank. This was supposed to take us all day long but we finished in about an hour and a half.

We placed smooth cement over the rough stuff we put over the bottles on day two, we dug in the hole for the septic tank until we were all a little damp from sweat and learned about Gabriel’s life and why GLA chose to help him, his wife and his young son. We learned that Gabriel is the main provider for his wife, son, mother and two brothers. He works as a construction worker and was able to help us smooth the cement onto the structure.

After finishing, we ate at Johnny’s, our main connection in the comunity. We ate a delectable form of rice, fish, fruit, plantain, and eggplant. Then we got to go on an adventure to Johnnys bee farm. We went on a beautiful walk and crossed a bridge that johnny spent one year building. The trees were very green and the bugs were very much alive.

Buzzing surrounded us, a calming and gentle hum filled the air. Jhonny pulled out a machete and cut small pieces of wood for the smoker, the tool used to calm the bees. We sat in the opening of a small anti-bee hut as he calmed the bees and brought down honey combs. Bees buzzed lazely around him, yet he seemed completly unphased.

As we questioned him through Lubens, we learned he rarley wears a protective suit, and instead has just gotten super use to the feeling of being stung. Then, WE GOT TO EAT THE HONEY COMB! Even the leftover honey was put put on clean leaves for students to eat.

We left the bees unharmed and trecked back to Johnny’s home. We gathered up all of our gear from Gabriel’s home and hopped on the same bus that we took to Cano Dolce. We arribed at the lodge and had free time for the rest of the evening.

For dinner our amazing cooks made us some tacos. They had the best chicken you could ever eat with some rice, beans, lettuce, chips, cheese and a fruit juice for our drink.

We left dinner to go to the beach to watch the sunset. We played in the waves, took pictures and played games. We learned about being a Global Citizen and watched a TED talk about the ways we can get involved in global issues. We shared our motivation for coming on this trip and thought of ways we can get more involved.

Today has been an amazing end to the service that we performed in a community and experienes that we will keep with us for forever.

Hasta pronto,

Madison, Sarah and Aida

Friday March 22, 2019

Last day! We started our day by waking up early to see the vivid morning sun and sky, then having a tasty breakfast consisting of bread rolls, fruit, granola, and a delicious banana smoothie. After breakfast, we got in the bus and headed to Dudu Lagoon!

Once we got there, we were amazed by the beautiful blue water. We all hopped in and felt refreshed, and after a while of exploring, we had a classic Dominican lunch: rice beans, salad, and meat. Once lunch was finished, we got back on the bus and headed to Playa Preciosa and enjoyed virgin pina coladas and a great view!

We came back to the ecolodge and had dinner which was: pasta, broccoli, fruit, and chicken. To end the last night right, we got coconuts to drink out of and had a fiery bon-fire. These were by far some of the best memories we have had. We hope to continue our roles as global citizens when we return to the United States!

By Sophia and Ginger

Time Capsule Letter

Hola hola!

Time goes so fast! We cannot quite believe it has been so long since our amazing week in the Dominican Republic ended. We wanted to say hello, and remind you of your lasting impact here in our communities.

We have fond memories of waking up to the smells of pancakes and the loud squawks of the neighbouring goats and guinea fowls. Of heading on our way to work sites and hospital visits to the sounds of merengue and bachata, passing past the palm trees in the glorious sunshine. Of sat around braiding each others hair and swapping childhood stories. And the adventure days, the beautiful waters, delicious fresh virgin pina coladas and white sandy beaches (even the rain showers!)

We know that you guys are probably back with school, 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 positive impact in Cano Dulce, La Union and Las Canas.

You will forever be a part of the work done at Cano Dulce, you guys finished  the hard work in building a bathroom and septic tank for Gabriel and his family. Having access to a bathroom is so integral to overall health, access to sanitation and dignity. The local children will always remember you as the wonderful GLA group who distributed vitamins in their school. And you all go down in history as one of the most successful medical brigades the Haitian community La Union! Well done guys! Thank YOU for all your effort and hard work.

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 difference to the wellbeing of people all over the world. We loved hearing about all of your stories, hopes and dreams, and really do hope to see you here again one day.

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.

You were a superstars throughout the entire program, your comments and questions during reflection time were impressive. Keep expressing yourself and those bright thought you have.

As a team, you worked so well together in the community and demonstrated what cooperation means.

GHT – you were amazing!
Please stay connected! 

Abrazos,

Hilary and the whole rest of the team!

Click here to jump down to the most recent posts! 

Sunday March 24, 2019

Hey parents!

Our first full day in the Dominican Republic! Many of our team members arrived lat last night, so we started the day with some ice breakers and a solid orientation to get ourselves up to speed on the busy week ahead.

Today everyone in the global health initiative program headed to a local community to help build a bathroom for a father named Gabriel and his family. We helped paint the side of the bathroom which the previous group started, make cement manually to finish the walls and the floor, and we dug a hole for the septic tank. When we came back to the lodge, we went swimming and walked on the beach.

After dinner we watched a presentation on human security and how it affects the Dominican Republic. We then reflected on what it means to have community, economic, environmental, personal, political, food and health security in our own home countries.

it was an amazing first full day! great food and great company so far. We miss you though!

Leaders of the day,

Ella and Brianna

Monday March 25, 2019

We started our day off with fresh fruit, bread, eggs, and hot chocolate. Afterwards, we learned about the communities access to health care and the malnutrition in children. We stated in the Ecolodge until 10:30 practicing for our vitamin distribution and medical brigade on Wednesday. Later on, we went to a local hospital to speak with Doctor Peña.

We talked about local health care and what it is like to be a doctor in the Dominican Republic. At noon we had lunch which consisted of fruit, plantains, chicken, eggplant, and rice. Next, our group went to the local school to interview and distribute vitamins to the kids. It was amazing!

Tuesday March 26, 2019

Wednesday March 27, 2019

Hey guys!!

Today we headed out to La Union, a Haitian community for a medical brigade. weeaxh had stations either registering, taking vitals, doing clinical interviews or shadowing the dr. Our team member Lilliana was distributing reusable green feminine products as part of her senior project, or was a hit. at 12:00 we had our special nacho lunch with cheese, beans, and chicken! After lunch we had a few more patients and as we were waiting for the doctor to meet with them we got to play with their children. When we were finished we went to the Sosua super market and after that we headed back to the lodge, then we had free time and headed to the pool! After free time we had dinner, then we learned about the history of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. It’s been a very eye opening day.

-Vanessa, Evelyn

Thursday March 28, 2019

Hello folks! For our last service day we helped complete a bathroom in the Cano Dulce community. Our tasks mainly consisted of mixing and carrying buckets of cement to form the walls of the septic tank. For lunch, we enjoyed some rice, beans, pork, potatoes, and fruit. After completing three loads of cements, we headed back to the lodge. Back home we spent more time bonding and playing games while it rained, our lovely cooks made us hot cinnamon coco. We ended the day with a discussion about our trip’s impact, final takeaways and how to be a global citizen and stay globally engaged. We are excited for our last day on the beach tomorrow!

Love Lilliana

Time Capsule Letter

Hola hola!

Time goes so fast! We cannot quite believe it has been so long since our amazing week in the Dominican Republic ended. Me and Junior wanted to say hello, and remind you of your lasting impact here in our communities.

We have fond memories of waking up to the smells of pancakes and the loud squawks of the neighbouring goats and chickens. Of heading on our way to work sites and hospital visits to the sounds of merengue and bachata, passing past the palm trees, wandering cows in the glorious sunshine. Of teaching each other dance moves, swapping stories about homelife and fussing over Ernie and Oscar. And  of course the adventure days, the beautiful waters, delicious fresh virgin pina coladas and white sandy beaches. 

We know that you guys are probably back with school, 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 positive impact in Polanco, La Tierra and Las Canas.

You will forever be a part of the work done at Las Canas, you guys nearly completely finished  the hard work in building a bathroom for Alejandro and his family. Having access to a bathroom is so integral to overall health, access to sanitation and dignity. The local children will always remember that Sunday they spend helping you all hammer in nails and collect bottles for the walls. Our vitamin distribution in Polanco was a huge success, we got to give integral supplements to 48 children and elderly community members. Not only that,  you all go down in history as one of the most successful and the FIRST medical brigade the community La Tierra ! Well done guys! Thank YOU for all your effort and hard work.

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 difference to the wellbeing of people all over the world. We loved hearing about all of your stories, hopes and dreams, and really do hope to see you here again one day.

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.

You were a superstars throughout the entire program, your comments and questions during reflection time were impressive. Keep expressing yourself and those bright thought you have.

You were amazing! Please stay connected!

Abrazos,

Hilary and Junior

Click here to jump down to the most recent posts! 

Saturday March 30, 2019

Tuesday April 2, 2019

Time Capsule Letter

Hey Loves,

We hope you are all happily settling in to your new/old lives at home! We miss you and wanted to send you an update from Las Canas.  We completed the bottle house and Alejandro’s family has moved in. Slow but sure, we finished up the walls and taught newcomer students to tackle problems. The base you set for us truly helped us in continuing this work.

We often reminisce on your maturity and kindness. You all surprised us with the way you tackled new and uncomfortable situations. Your thoughtful queries during discussions and work days showed us the ability 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 convey true personality and caring. 

Our little family turned out to be amazing. Remember the night we had a campfire on the beach and danced bachata? Or all the laughs we had with Loubens? We hope you can remember the moments you felt happy, uncomfortable, inspired, and determined. We hope you carry those memories with you and use them to empower you to stay globally engaged. 

Reach out if you need anything!

With love,

Leslie, Hilary, and Loubens

P.S. #HunterforPresident

Click here to jump down to the most recent posts! 

Saturday April 6, 2019 

We have arrived in the Dominican Republic! We are excited to start new projects, meet new friends, and take in some sun. Stay tuned for updates!

Sunday April 7, 2019

Hello All,