Community CAP project day 1

Hey y’all – it’s Kai and Bina!

Today was the first day of our Community Action Project (which was the main point of this trip). A few days before today, we had visited Magaly’s house and got to see what we were going to be doing for the CAP project so we thought we knew what to expect. We started our mornings how we always do, wake up and have breakfast. Because it was the first day of this very important project, stress was very prominent among everyone. Once we got to Magaly’s house, we had to wait for the head contractor for organization, but in the meantime, some of us wanted to pick up trash around the house. Littering is very prominent here in the DR and many of us really wanted trash pickup to be a part of our project. Once Bernardo arrived, we realized that the plan we had in mind was not at all what we were going to be doing. This threw us for a loop. Magaly had made it aware that she did not want us to start moving her things until parts of her house were fixed. We all then started to think about what else we could do. We wanted to not just give this home a floor, but also fix the house itself. That could not happen sadly. When it would rain it would seep through and cause flooding in Magaly’s home. We learned that this home was built by a previous family member and had been a part of their family for many years, but the conditions were no longer sustainable. Magaly has no husband so she’s had to upkeep the home all by herself, but she could only do so much. Once the crew had arrived, because we only had one day to do the house, we were really only able to do the front of the house. So we got to work.

We moved out her belongings from the living room and kitchen and cleaned spiderwebs around the house. Next, some of us started bringing up wheelbarrows of dirt and making a pile next to the house. Once we had enough, the crew started shoveling the dirt in the house to level out the floor. I (Bina) didn’t just want to watch the crew members do the work, so I got in there and started to help out. Many others started to help and we locked in. We all began to work together as a team even, if that’s not what the crew members had in mind. There were holes in the sides of the home so we used rocks spare wood and later cement to patch up those holes. Then the cement began. The group was split into two: either helping carry up the dirt or mixing the cement. What the group had in mind was that we were going to be building a frame and using rebar to help support the concrete, but that didn’t happen. We ended up just pouring the cement straight over the dirt. There were 21 students, 4 leaders, and a couple of workers, so there were a lot of points where there wasn’t a lot we could do. Some of us passed the time by singing songs and building sand castles with the kids, or being with the kids In the community. I saw Olivia and many other of our kids taking care of the community’s children. It was really inspiring. As a group, we all tried our very best to keep our morale up and we did that by listening to music. We finished up some last-minute things like adding concrete around some of the house as well as a front step. When the house was finally done we all felt so proud that we were actually able to get the entire project done in a day. That feeling of accomplishment is going to push everyone for the next few days of our Community Action Project. Hope everyone’s families have been in been doing well, we’re all so excited about reuniting with our families and friends again!

Big love to everyone here and at home.

Ps (Bina) please tell my dog I miss her

Ps (Kai ) miss y’all back home love y’all. shout out Keegan, dad , mom , my record player and my bed.