Hi everyone!

I’m Dámarit Pérez, one of the Program Coordinators in San Juan de la Maguana and today I was Leader of the Day for History Day.

Today was our first full day and we had a great time. I’m so happy because the group is so engaged and they are enjoying the city.  As History day we had our city tour in San Juan! Despite the heat, the Glimpsers and the GG Leaders had the opportunity to know our amazing city and know more about its history. We wanted to show all the different influences that Dominican Republic has experienced during its history and how this has made a diverse population. We also talked about political changes in the DR during the last century.

We had the opportunity to listen to Cristino Comas, who is a History professor from San Juan, and has worked in the education field during so many years, also helping Haitian communities. His knowledge about San Juan history is amazing and he shared an amazing explanation about the taínos, who were the indigenous population of the DR.

But the most exciting part of the day was when the Glimpsers met the Youth Ambassadors. They matched very well since the beginning and even some of the glimpsers have learned some Spanish words already! Also the Ambassador gave to them a welcome gift, a bracelet! So sweet! I’m sure they are going to learn a lot from each others and discover all the things they have in common.

We finished the day making the first self-reflection about their first impressions of the experience and the country and they loved to share their thought with the rest of the group. Also during our Nightly Meeting we had an interesting discussion about how Dominican and American people feel about their history.

Tomorrow we have an amazing Culture and Fun Day so stay tuned for our news.

Good night from San Juan!

Dámarit