Bisma and Yasmin here!
As your leaders of the day, we have a lot to share. Our crazy journey as co-leaders has taught us to come out of our comfort zones and expanded our mentality on what we’re capable of. We definitely learned that leadership is a group effort and not just something that can be taken on by one individual. Though struggling with getting everyone together in one place on time, we still managed to go through all the activities with much success and had a spontaneous day. We love our group and cherished this opportunity to be able to lead them and show off our leadership skills.
Today, we learned about the inner city community of Jarabacoa from many perspectives. One of these perspectives is looking into the lives of the less fortunate and those in need. Going and volunteering at a free clinic taught us the struggles of what more than half of the world faces on a day to day basis. Some of us got to be doctor’s assistants and pharmacists, which really changed the lives of the locals, as well as ourselves. Going to the clinic enabled us to view more of what the people in the community go through to be able to help them. Taking part in this experience made us feel proud of making a difference, big or small, and showed us we can do so much more as young leaders of tomorrow. At home, we noticed that we have all these resources that we take for granted when there are people within this community that have to scrape by tooth and nail to see their next day.
After the health fair, we prepped for our CAP (Community Action Project) and later on presented it to the leaders of the town that we’re helping. We presented the blueprints, materials, etc. and are ready to start constructing their multi-purpose community center on Saturday. This will change the entire community of Las Cabrimas. We’re so excited to start working on it.
After this important meeting, we had some free time to explore the city! Split up into separate groups, we all had tons of fun experiences and cat-call stories to share. Some of us tried some street food (let’s hope our stomachs are okay, pray for us), others bought tons of snacks, and the rest just bought souvenirs and explored.
Ending the day with a heart-to-heart self-reflection, we all took time to realize the struggles our families went through to allow us to live the lives we have today. Thank you, parents, for all your sacrifices and hard work because we realized how much we have and take for granted. You guys are living proof that with hard work, anything is possible.
Free Health Clinic
Welcome Committee at Clinic
Playing with Kids at the Clinic
CAP Presentation
CAP Presentation
Panel from the Community
CAP Presentation