Introduction
GLA’s Global Health Initiative program is a primer for studying medicine or public health in the developing world. A university-level program, it’s designed to give a progressive experience— challenging preconceptions of health with new experiences, and guidance from attending medical and public health professionals working in the field.
Global Health Initiative Itinerary
Please note: Activities may happen on different days due to weather or community needs. This is a tentative itinerary.
| Day | Program Activities |
| 1 | Arrival in Santo Domingo and Night in Colonial zone |
| 2 | Travel to Barahona, Orientation at Homebase and have clinic orientation |
| 3 | 1st Health Brigade |
| 4 | Repairs and reparation of health facility |
| 5 | Travel to Jimani Border town and Lago Enriquillo |
| 6 | 2nd Health Brigade |
| 7 | Town water pump house restoration at the world’s shortest river |
| 8 | Travel to Cachote cloud forest village |
| 9 | Repairs and reparation of health facility |
| 10 | Town water tank restoration |
| 11 | 3rd Health Brigade at Las Filipinas Mining community |
| 12 | Repairs and reparation of health facility |
| 13 | Activity Day: Boat ride to Playa De Las Aguilas and snorkel |
| 14 | Return to Santo Domingo and fly home |
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Blog Updates
What a day! Since the second I stepped off the plane in Santo Domingo, it was one adventure after another. The people here are so friendly and welcoming that I feel right at home. On our first night, we walked around the Zona Colonial, and ate some pizza. Today we traveled down to Barahona and stopped on the way for some Dominican lunch in the province of Azua! The culture here is breathtaking and the food is quite delicious. After traveling a bit more, we finally arrived at Hotel El Quemaito. It’s just the beginning of my journey and I already made so many memories. I can’t wait to make many more!!
Date Written: June 20th
Author: Elif Ulutin
June 21, 2017
“Today we got a chance to work with community members to help construct a medical lab next to the local clinic. The didn’t speak English so it was a good opportunity to practice and test our spanish knowledge. We played soccer and baseball with students from the local high school, as well as learned about what goes on in the clinic and how its works. All in all it was a very cultural immersive and enjoyable day and it really got me more excited for the rest of the trip.”
-Brooke Carson
“Today, myself and my group traveled an hour from our home base to a health clinic in the small town of Cachon. Cachon has a population under 3000 and 1200 of these are under the age of 18. The health clinic we visited was minuscule compared to the large doctor’s offices we are used to in the United States, but it is a vital part of the community. Our role at this clinic was to aid a construction crew in building a laboratory. For the rest of the day many of us found ourselves shoveling sand, plastering cement, spreading cement, and carrying buckets with sand for mixing. At times, some of us played sports with children we met in Cachon. Myself and a few other students joined a baseball game with a group of Dominican high schoolers. Even with a language barrier we were able to communicate and play a great game. Today, I gained a great amount of confidence in both my athletic and leadership abilities and hope to continue this throughout my trip. “
-Chloe Richardson
Gooooooooooooood morning parents!
Today we visited a clinic in Los Patos to hear more about the health care provided in some communities in the DR. We were also shown the aqueducts in that area and why the water from them wasn’t safe enough for drinking. The nurse and doctors also explained how the clinic is under funded and how every month they run out of the medicines needed by the people. They also shared how the tension between Haitians and Dominicans is increased by the competition for healthcare, some Dominicans do not believe that people of Haitian descent have the right to health care in the country. Later in the day we collected plastic bottle from the beach to be used in a future service project as insulation. After we cleaned up the beach we were then able to swim in the ocean.
Author: Ella Strange
Date Written: 06/22/2017
So today was the preview to our clinic days! We went to Los Patos to talk to two doctors about the different services that the offered, people that they see, what they do, common illnesses, etc. We also got to check out the river that has dirty water because we are going to be renovating the water tank it is connected to in order to make the water safer. During the afternoon we had a doctor come to the home base and teach us how to take vitals in preparation for the brigades we will be running. We were able to go to the ocean which is a 10 minute walk from the home base in order to collect bottles for tomorrow’s work day and swim a little…..
Author: Jennifer Yazmin Maciel-Carrillo
Date Written: 06/22/2017
Thank you and we miss you guys!
Today we visited the Haitian Dominican Centre and worked on renovations. Using the water bottles we collected at the beach yesterday, we built walls in the community centre and began cementing them. We also had the opportunity to interact with the children in the community during a dance party! We then got to talk to the leader of the centre, who discussed his experiences with assisting Haitian migrants and the trauma these migrants face. We finished off the da with a swim in the pool, a lecture on Environment and Forced Migration, and a documentary called “Black in Latin America”. The documentary also was about environmental issues on the island and Haitian- Dominican Republic Relations.
Author: Nicole Melchior
Written: 06/23/2017
Today was a day that reminded us of why we’re here. As we were working on creating a multipurpose room for a community centered Dominican- Haitian Migration Organization, a group of children from the community came and offered us fresh mangos. They also taught us a local dance called bachata. It put the whole trip into focus and gave us a delicious taste of the local culture. Those cute little children will forever hold a place in our hearts, and their smiling faces will stay with us as we grow ourselves. The future starts with us and them. We thank all you parents for giving us this amazing opportunity and GLA for providing us with these memorable experiences!
P.S. to the parents: though we may be having tons of fun we miss you like crazy!
Author: Benjamin Holroyd
Written: 06/23/2017
Date Written: 06/24/2017
Today we went to Cachote to renovate their water tanks. We had different jobs like mixing cement, shoveling cement, cleaning the water tank, pick-axing the limestone, and plastering the cement on the well. We also talked with Frank, a community organizer, about the area and its cultural diversity. When we got back to the hotel we got to let loose with some merengue lessons. Going to a small community like theirs made me realize how much we take for granted. They have just the things they need to survive and we complain about all the things we want. Frank made me realize that being happy is all due to being surrounded by the people you love.
Author: Olivia Brown
