Aid and Development Day! (No. 4)

Happy Fourth of July!!!!

Early this morning, we had a wonderful breakfast of cereal with fruits. It was super delicious! After breakfast concluded, we had our morning meeting in which we learned about Asodecho and introduced our Spanish words of the day which were “taller” which means workshop, “cooperacion” which means cooperation, and “desarrollo” which means development. Moreover, we took the scooby bus, driven by the great driver Rudy, to a local community organized under the Foundacion Asodecho. We met Carlos who discussed local successes and failures that they are currently experiencing in their community. He told us in detail about the improvements he has been able to implement within the community and how it has bettered the life of those living there. Carlos inspired us to focus on the importance of sustainability and taking action. Anahi really stood out by asking a lot of important questions that helped us in preparation for our Community Action Project.

After leaving Asodecho, we returned to the hotel and ate a yummy lunch which included fried chicken, rice, coleslaw, and tostones. This lunch was one of Alyra, Aylin, Anahi, and Elena’s favorites. We were so full after and had the energy to take on the rest of the day. We then had a seminar where we introduced the discovery part of the CAP project and practiced our interview questions. Later we joined Rudy on the bus again and drove to the Rio Grande where we all paired up to interview some women from the community about the school’s needs. Many people stepped out of their comfort zones and led the conversations by speaking Spanish, especially Nick and Elena. Sara and Yazmin stepped out of their comfort zones and translated for the whole group and they did a wonderful job. We went on a tour of the school and visited classrooms to see what their typical learning spaces look like. Some of the ideas they had for improvements are accessible clinics, building gates on the playground, or even fixing their school garden. Stay tuned for the next post to see what we decide…….

We came home and had a mini-seminar on the 4th of July led by us (Elena and Aylin). Throughout the seminar, we discussed reasons why some people celebrate the holiday and why some don’t. Either way we decided today was a good day working in the communities with Global Glimpse. During free time today, most of us wanted to head to the basketball courts to play with the local kids. Some of us played soccer, some played baseball, and some played basketball. We all had a lovely time. Jo made a connection with a small boy at the courts, Bryan, and he taught Jo some basketball tricks. It was awesome to watch! The folks who did not join us at the courts stayed at the hotel and had a wonderful time playing among each other. They talked and played Uno. We ended with a great American dinner which included burgers, fries, and even coke! It really gave us a taste of back home. Mabel and Larry even had a cake for us to end of the night with a sweet surprise. Today was a very good day and we can not wait to see what tomorrow and the rest of the trip bring! We’re excited to see what Anahi and Alyra do tomorrow as leaders of the day!

Love,

Elena and Aylin

Elena’s shout-outs: Hi Mom. You would be delighted to know that I am putting my Spanish to use and practicing here in DR. Hi Dad!!! Hi Gabby. I Miss you guys lots:) Everyone else back in NY I miss you guys too and can’t wait to tell you about the wonderful trip once I get back!! I took soo many pics! Love you!

Aylin’s shout outs: Hola Ma! Estoy bien aqui en Constanza, comparto un habitacion con Elena. La comida esta rica y todo es divertido. Ojala todos esten bien alla en Nueva York. I love you and I’ll see you soon. Hi nana, I miss you. Solamente nos falta 8 dias para vernos otra vez!!!