The Young Leader

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Dominican Republic – Spring Break Service Adventure – March 30 – April 6, 2019 – Combined Track

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

Hello friends and family!
All students arrived safe and sound to the Indalo Lodge. After unpacking and settling in, we all headed for a tour around are home base, to introduce the students to the grounds and give history of the organisation. After a traditional dinner of ‘la bandera’ chicken, rice,beans, veg and fruit, we headed to the beach to watch the sun set over the water.
We had a very successful orientation and ice breaker session. The students all engaged and asked lots of questions. Our leaders for the following day were volunteered and prepared for the day ahead. I am very excited for this week with this wonderful group!
Saludos!
Sunday March 31, 2019

Dear parents,

The first day of this truly life changing experience opened our groups eyes more ways than we ever thought imaginable.  Allowing everyone to engage in building a newly structured bottle house, eating new exotic foods, and successfully passing our swim tests made for one awesome day! We woke up for breakfast at 8:15 before leaving for our 20 minute walk through the rural community which we worked in.

We worked a long and hard 3 hours, hammering nails, cutting chicken wire, collecting bottles, and playing with the children. We headed back to our lodge at 12:00 for our first lunch and to relax for a short hour before we headed back to work hard for another 3 hours. Once we ended our time at the bottle house, we were all exhausted and in need of showers. We were hot, sweaty, and covered in dirt, but we still smiled and were very happy with what we accomplished.
Coming back to the lounge, we got to swim in the pool, lay in the hammocks, and learn about what 7E stands for. We had an in depth talk after a delicious meal and sang happy birthday to one of our group members, Cam! We had such an amazing day and can’t wait to see what else the Dominican has to offer, and what more we can give to this beautiful island!
Love Camile and Cam (Birthday boy 🙂 )
Monday April 1, 2019

Dear Parents,

Today was our second and final day working in the village. We continued to build the walls of the bathroom, and then finished up filling the walls in with concrete. The weather was very humid and sunny but smiles were even brighter:) We got to hang out with the locals and hear their amazing stories. Once we had finished the walls of the bathroom, we discovered ground mangoes. We washed and peeled the fresh Dominican fruit, a refreshing snack.
On our walk back to the lodge, we stopped at a local colmado (market). We enjoyed the sweet treats while taking a relaxing walk along the beach. Dinner consisted of delicious rice, meat and curry. Just before our evening reflection, we gazed upon a beautiful cotton candy sunset. The night finished with a quick debate about “The Economy vs. Human Rights”. We are all so excited for tomorrows adventure day!
Love Aine and Yohana (Hey Moms)

Tuesday April 2, 2019

Buenas noches!
the fourth day of our adventure was full of fun! we woke up earlier than usual this morning at 6:50 so we could go to the beach and do some yoga.It was pretty out there and so relaxing, it was an amazing way to start our day. Next we hoped in the bus and drove an hour to a local beach where we went snorkeling, tanning, for massages and braided in our hair, and even shopped in a village.
We all had so much fun and got tons of little souvenirs for memories. After the beach we went to the local supermarket where most of us experienced swapping our currency so we could buy snacks for our room and movie night which took place in our lodge tonight. We all got comfortable and relaxed while watching a movie on mental health issues. This trip has been so so fun and we can’t wait for many more adventures!

Muchos saludos

-Sarah, Arielle

Wednesday April 3, 2019

Dear Parents,

Today we went to a local hospital only ten minutes away from the lodge where we got to see the primary level of health care in the Dominican Republic. There we got to ask the doctor any questions we had, from how much she is paid to what a typical day at the clinic is like.
After a filling lunch of rice, salad, fruit, and pork we ran through a simulation at the lodge in preparation for the vitamin distribution to follow. Once we arrived and set up a pop up clinic the next few hours were very busy. We saw fifty patients and practiced our Spanish while taking the families vitals and recording medical history.
Once we returned to the lodge we rested well before eating dinner. After dinner we watched a movie on the divide of Haiti and the Dominican Republic and the interactions between these communities today. The movie was very moving and sent many of us to tears for the Haitians of this nation who are currently facing discrimination.
Overall the day was full of new experiences and our group really came together to achieve allot.
Serenity Fields
Thursday April 4, 2019

Hols padres!

We have just ended day 6 of our adventure abroad! This morning, we woke up and ate an awesome breakfast consisting of: eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, and fresh fruit. Then, we went to a local community to setup  the medical brigade for locals to come and receive necessary medications and vitamins. We literally operated a hospital on our own! We had different sections of the brigade, including registration, vitals, interviews, doctor shadowing, pharmacy help, and data input.

The view from the brigade was beautiful and super super green! We got to eat nachos halfway through the brigade, and finished our hard work before taking a walk through the local community. We then came back to the lodge, getting free time to go by the beach or hangout in the hammocks.

After eating dinner around 7 PM, Hilary explained how we are able to stay involved with GLA, different volunteering opportunities, and what it means to be a global citizen. Each day we learn something new from our experiences and our leaders! We love this tropical island and don’t want to leave!

Saludos,

Camille and Vincent
Friday April 5, 2019

Hey parents,

Today was sadly our last full day before departure. Although your kids miss you, they are all very sad to leave. Today we started of the day very early and saw the sunrise on the beach. We then took an hour and 45 minute bus ride to Dudu Lagoon, where we adventured in the caves and swam in the bright blue lagoons. We had a delicious lunch and then voyaged to the next beach.

We all had non alcoholic pina coladas in pineapples while we soaked in the natural beauty of the beach. When we got back to the lodge, we went to the beach again and watched the sunset as we said our final goodbyes to the ocean. We then gave out our paper plate rewards, personalized for each student and our amazing mentors. We finished off the night by stargazing by the pool. Our final goodbyes tomorrow will be hard, but the amazing memories from this trip will last forever.

Olivia and Sarah


Global Leadership Adventures


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