Hi everyone, this is Sophia and Nikhil, los lideres del Dia (Leaders of the Day). For us, being the leaders was a refreshing yet challenging experience but, we handled the day well and made it a great learning opportunity for everyone. Today was “Working Like a Local” day, which involved going to a Mango farm called IDIAF (Institute of Agricultural and Forest Research) located in a small rural village called Bani. Our day consisted of lots of hard work, from seeding the mangos to picking them. We seperated into small groups with specific tasks that included weeding the plants, picking out the dead ones, and wheelbarrowing them over to the pile of soil that was then recycled. We also got the chance to get to know the people of the farm as we worked with them. We learned more about their lives as farmers, such as what they do on a daily basis, their wages, and where they’re from. We discovered that the amount of money these workers earn don’t reflect the long and laborious hours they put in. We, as a group, felt very grateful for workers all around the world who put food on our plates and clothes on our backs. By being in their shoes for just a couple of hours, we were exhausted and could only imagine what working like this everyday must be like. After eating lunch at the farms, we presented Candida, a researcher and agronomist at the farms with a gift of gratitude for showing us just a glimpse of the life of a farmer.

After hours of hard work, we came back to the accomodations and began writing letters of appreciation to our suporters of the trip, in which we reflected on what we’ve learned so far and how we’ve changed as a result of the trip. Shortly after, we went to our second English tutoring session! We (Sophia and Nikhil) were in the same tutoring group. We taught a beginner class, making it challenging for us as we do not speak Spanish and our students don’t know much English. Our lesson focused on plural nouns, both saying them and writing them out. We felt more confident the second time around and as a group we have improved our teaching skills. Although there’s still room to grow, it’s a learning curve for us as well as the students we are teaching. The motivation our students have to learn encourages us to work with them no matter how hard it gets. This opportunity of being teachers gives us the skills we need to be leaders later on in life.

Overall the day was long and tedious but rewarding in all aspects. Being leader of the day on this particular day was especially challenging because it was so jam-packed with activities. We had to make sure everyone was where they needed to be at all times and that they were doing their job as a Glimpser. It was intense at times to be assertive and keep everyone in line, but at the end of the day we’re both grateful to have this opportunity to improve our leadership abilities. It was also a rewarding experience to witness all of the glimpsers work so hard at the farm today under our leadership. This day is beneficial because there was so much to learn not only about the farmers but also about ourselves. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned!

To Nikhil’s Family: Hi guys!! I’m so ready to come back home and tell you all about my experiences in the DR. Thanks for helping me get on this trip. See you guys soon! 🙂

To Sophia’s Family: I miss you all so much and I’m excited to see you in a few days and tell you all about my trip 🙂