Hey everyone its Edward and I was one of the student leaders for today..

Today was one of the more difficult days.

Today our peers learned about what ASCALA,  an association that helps immigrants coming into the Dominican Republic not only providing them refuge but also trying to help them with their citizen status. Since most  immigrants are Haitian it is more difficult for them to receive help from the Dominican Republic government due to past discriminatory laws that are present to this day. In many cases the Haiti people are fearing deportation since majority don’t have any documentation. One of the most striking cases we learned about today that really had all of us reflecting was learning that many pregnant Haitian women in labor that also don’t have  proper documentation are often deported while in labor. We were very proud to hear many deep similar stories that connected to our theme of the day immigration and how it impacts our identity. Having the opportunity to speak to a Haitian immigrant and visiting the batelles had to be one of the most inspiring moments. We learned about the difficulties that the Haitian experienced being rejected not only the Dominican Republic but also their homeland Haiti.

Edward: For me being Lider Del Dia was one of the most empowering moments for me. I am usually an introvert who isn’t heard by many people so today it was really empowering to be heard by others. I called the attention of the group and led them into today’s activity. I gained valuable leadership knowledge from this experience.

Ruby: I was anxious about being Lider Del Dia at the beginning of the day but my nerves settled after some time thanks to my extremely supportive and helpful co-leader who encouraged me with his own leadership skills that I was able to reflect alongside him.