Day 4 — Community Day. (No. 3)

Today we visited a local community called Sonido del Yaque. We got a glimpse into their daily lives by working with them on daily tasks and eating lunch together.

Sonido del Yaque is a self-sustaining community based along the Yaque del Norte, the longest river in the Dominican Republic, built up and led by women. They’re a small community, and relatively isolated from many others — a 30-minute walk uphill to the nearest school. They stay near-entirely self-sustaining, growing their own food and recycling their own waste as well as being able to pull natural gas from biowaste to generate electricity.

Due to their proximity to the river, they thrive on a small hydroelectric dam and readily available running water. We were lucky enough to be able to experience both the river directly and the engineering by which the members of Sonido del Yaque are able to maintain power.

When we arrived, we got a tour of the community including a fish farm and ways they get electricity for their community. We then broke off into groups and spent time with the host families following them around as they completed their daily chores. Some activities the groups did were gardening, making beds, sweeping, doing dishes, and any other daily tasks. This part of our stay was insightful into how small communities live and work. With limited access to technology, there are always members working with their hands as well as younger members running and playing around the area. We learned about the daily lifestyle of community members.

After eating as a large group, we played with the youth at their playground and face painted. Community members and glimpsers alike had a lot of fun playing around despite language barriers. Before leaving Sonida del Yaque, we stopped by the river and waded or swam around to cool off and refresh. Some of us glimpsers observed and reflected on our differences, such as access to technology, housing, and a sense of community. Others focused on the similarities, such as finding joy in the presence of others and a desire to have fun with people who are different from themselves.

One of the most inspiring things we were able to engage with was a spread of crafts produced by the people of Sonido Del Yaque. All profits from their sales are invested right back into the community, ensuring it thrives and continues on staying self-sustaining without the need for money to be truly involved in day-to-day life. Residents do not pay rent and simply contribute as much as they’re able to, leading to a strongly interconnected and responsible community. Walking back to the road, we considered how the residents of the community seemed no less happy than we were despite not having access to the same commodities. We hope to take home a greater appreciation for what we have and an understanding that the authentic life we choose to live can be just as enjoyable as any other.

For breakfast, we had mangu, a tasty mash of fried plantain that at least one person here hopes to see again, or even make for themselves. Lunch was prepared in a fogon (traditional gasless stove), chicken seasoned to the point to make your eyes close and your heart melt.

Dinner had Coca-Cola at Rancho Ruiseñor, with much fanfare (read: people not waiting in line), but many of us preferred the fruit juices we’d acclimated to over the time already spent here.

As LDD’s (Líders del Día), we learned to interact with our group members in a leadership position while maintaining a friendly and respectful atmosphere. Though there are still challenges with getting the group coordinated, it’s something we can work on throughout the trip as a group.

-Lisa and Kai