Today was “Living like A Local” day. We visited the village of Rio Grande, where we stayed in the houses of volunteer hosts. We got the chance to experience what life is like for the people living there.
The goal of the day was to live as if we earned a two-dollar salary. Our day started with a breakfast of bread and chocolate milk, and at some point, during the day we all took bucket showers. After the meal, our GGL introduced the CAP, which stands for Community Action Project. Since the project will benefit the community of Rio Grande, the purpose of the trip was to find out what their needs are and how we can help.
When we arrived, we divided into groups, each assigned to a host family. We were really supposed to help with chores around their homes, but we found that most of the “Doñas” just wanted to spoil us. One out of the 5 hosts who participated, Doña Mecho, welcomed us into her home. She was very welcoming and told stories of how it was living in her condition. She didn’t always have her own house, she rented prior to living in Rio Grande, but it was difficult paying monthly, so her and her husband decided to buy a small portion of land and build their home; it took them 2 months to complete it. Even though she doesn’t have all of the things they need, she relies on her faith that one day God will help and better her living style. It was really eye opening that someone who doesn’t have as much as we do can be happy and have the generosity of opening their house to complete strangers.
After three hours of spending time with our host families, everyone gathered at the school to share a meal and play games. The children are WILD. They have endless energy, and have no hesitation trying to communicate with you. We also noticed how they took advantage of the things available to them, like how they built toy cars out of containers with bottles caps and lollipop sticks for wheels and axles. We can all say that we have learned something from interacting with the families and experiencing their living conditions.
Following the meal, we split into three different groups, asking specific questions to determine what our CAP should be. During this time, we learned a lot about the generosity and optimism of the community, as well as their struggles and needs. Before we left, we thanked all the families for accepting us into their homes and into their community.
Even though this has only been our fourth day in the Dominican Republic, this is an incredible experience that we will never forget. We have gained a unique perspective that will shape how we continue to see the world. We have gained a new appreciation for the things we have that millions of others lack. And we have gained genuine connections with the friendly people of Rio Grande.
-Keren O. and Morghan B.
Much Love To Our Families
Good morning Group C2C,
I would like to wish my son, Malachi Porter a very happy 17th birthday! I love you and your family is very proud of you. Continue to live your best life.
Love Mom
Happy Birthday Malachi!! What an incredible way to celebrate your birthday ?
Happy Birthday to him!
Good morning group C2C! What an amazing account of your day. While reading it, I actually felt like I was there! I hope that you all continue to experience more life changing moments as you explore the DR.
Hi again group C2C,
I want to wish my son Malachi Porter a very happy birthday today! His is now 17 years old.
I love you son and your family is very proud of you. Continue to live your best life!
Love Mom
So proud of all of you
Such experiences are treasures that are priceless. Thinking of you all and hope you are gaining strength in yourselves as each day passes.
WOW!! So proud of my son and the whole group for taking this step and being immersed in a different culture. The things you will learn will go with all of you way beyond your HS years. I believe you will appreciate much more what you have when you come back to the USA. Please tell Ben that I signed him up for Soccer. Keep up the good work, team C2C!
Wow, it sounds like you guys learned a lot. What an amazing day you guys had! Much love from, Greenfield.
And love from from San Diego! The picture and videos of you dancing are wonderful! Memere
Grear job today! Siunds like a wonderful experience and I am glad that your perspective is expanding. I wish the person that titled this would have spelled your name correctly though, geez. Love, mom
Pardon the incorrectly spell-checked words in my previous post! Michelle
I am so thrilled that our local high school students have been given this opportunity. What an amazing life experience that will forever impact their views on many things. Thank you Global Glimpse and to the kids, keep your eyes wide open to observe, learn and enjoy this opportunity.
Absolutely love reading your blogs and seeing the videos. This group means so much to me having grown up in Western Mass. Sending big love to the entire group and GGLs, keep learning and growing!