Greetings from Bonao! My name is Lauren and I’m a Global Glimpse student from San Francisco, CA. As leader of the day, not only did I get to write this blog but I also had a lot of responsibilities for the group. Assuming the role of a leader was a great way to test out my communication abilities and I was given a chance to take charge and lead the group. This was especially exciting because today was our first day working on the CAP project, or the Community Action Project, which is a three-part project we will be working on during our time here in Bonao. This year, Global Glimpse is working with the Federación de Campecinos Hacia el Progreso, a farmer’s federation in the mountains of Bonao.
To start off this exciting day we had a quick breakfast with freshly squeezed pineapple juice, made by our lovely chef Aracelys. Then, we boarded the bus to head to the Federación, where we spent the day learning about the different purposes of the Federación, including coffee production and bamboo trees. We met the founder of this place, Esteban Polanco, who created the Federación in order to protect the rights of displaced farmers. Though this was his original goal, he has achieved much more and has done so in various ways. He created and installed two hydroelectric in some of the mountain communities, as well as offers an education to many of the kids living in those communities.
Drinking fresh coffee like true Dominicans
As Global Glimpse students, our main goal for the day was to discover something we could help the Federación with, and we did so by interviewing a few of the workers, and even Esteban himself. Thanks to our wonderful Spanish translators, we brainstormed some really cool projects! A pressing thing the Federación needs help with is attracting more tourists in order to stimulate a greater income for the organization. The organization is also a hostel where people can stay to meditate and enjoy the beautiful scenery. Global Glimpse students, as well as the people we interviewed, thought that creating a playground or some sort of play-center would possibly attract more families with children, since the kids would have something to do. Nothing is definite as of yet, but stay posted to find out what we decide to do!
Great post, Lauren! Sounds like you all will be very busy! Tell Gabriella to bring home some coffee!
Pam
Hi Lauren, this information was well done! You all should be exploding with pride. I can almost smell the air there. Great job! Bring me home some coffee too:)
Love you.
Ellen
Good Morning to Mr. Delgado, Michael, and the entire GG Team. Great report Lauren!! We have been enjoying reading all the wonderful posts, and looking forward to it everyday. Keep up the good work, and post more photos please!! 🙂
Special shout out to Austen, and all the Andrew Hill kids. So glad you took up this opportunity of a lifetime. Love and miss you Austen!!
Austen’s Mom and Dad
Hi Global Glimpse DR,
I hope you all are having a great time and injoying this awesome experience. Have fun, learn as much as you can and be inspired to soar. Joi bring some coffee back for Nora and GG. Love you, Joi’s Mom, Monica
Love the ideation exercise, keep it up, great job team!
Ayah’s Mom and Dad
Neat program! I have worked with the Federacion for years now – I just wanted to point out that Esteban is not the founder of the Federacion, it has been around for over 25 years – and it is a COLLECTIVE effort of many farmers! Esteban always stresses that it is collective work that will make change, not the acts of an individual! This is at the heart of the Federacion’s work!
To learn more about our CAP partner organization (and see more photos of Glimpsers in action!), you can visit their website: https://sites.google.com/site/visitacoeturb/home/vida-cultural and like their page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/COETURB?fref=ts
There will be an opportunity to bring back their coffee (although they don’t have a brand/ label yet and your coffee will come in doggie bags)!
Hi Lauren,
Great job. What a super experience! Keep up the good work.
Love the picture of you drinking coffee. Stay safe.
Best to Michael and GG team.
Love Dad
Lauren – Got e-message from your Dad about this great excursion of yours! Outstanding . . . and, yes, you look great and enlivened with this great venture!
All the best . . . and love to Mom and Dad.