More Fotos from the orphanage

Thanks to Lindy's suggestion we made it back to the orphanage again this year and the students had a great time with the children. The orphanage has 140 children from infants to 19 years old. These are children who no longer have a safe home or parents to live with.

At the Clinics

Thought you should see the fearless leaders at work:)

Visit to the orphanage and Meeting High Octane

More Photos...

Last Student Blog

Hello everyone. The DR has been an amazing, unforgetable trip that is almost over. We finished our final day of work today, Friday, at a barrio which is a town inside a city. There weren't that many patients today as there have been at the bateys throughout the trip. We saw probably 50 people today comparred to the 100-200 we normally see at the bateys. It has been a wonderful work experience filled with some of the most kind and playful people I have ever met. The adults have been really receptive to our help and very gracious however the true pleasure of the trip is dealing with the children. All of them have great personalities and they love just to be with us. They keep us company and they are a real priviledge to meet. It has been an honor to help such wonderful people and it has benefited me in more ways than it has probably benefitted our patients. My spanish is improving and constantly put to the test, put my Moses Brown experience has taught me enough to get by. I am having a great time and am going to have trouble leaving tomorrow. We have seen an And-1 basketball game, gone to a resort, learned about medicine, and given back to the community. It has been a unforgettable trip and I hope to return again. For anyone interested, please take the time to ask anyone on this trip questions because we all think it has been amazing.
See you all back in the states tomorrow!
Liam Miner

P.S. Melissa Gordon told me to tell the readers that she was rushed yesterday but wanted to say that she loved playing basketball against the Kansas team who by the way we beat and she also enjoyed seeing the And-1 team play, which she hopes to see again.

Hola! The DR has been perfect so far and I am so happy to be here. Today i was a scribe for a doctor, Molly Bliss, and it was my favorite thing to do so far. I got to really see many of the patients there and hear about their problems; it was realy interesting. Its been realy hot but so nice- all of us are missing summer and dread coming home to snow. Yesterday the beach was so fun, we went banana boating and that was really cool. This is such an amazing experience, we were all talking about how hard it will be to explain when we get home what it is really like. But we are all enjoying ourselves so much. Hasta Luego!
Melissa

3/22/07

Hi everyone back home. The DR is so amazing. Today was the first day with alot of rain. I was walking outside with Kamau and it started to pour on us and we got drenched. Not fun. But everything has been perfect. We all went to the beach yesterday, 3/21, and I could not have asked for a better day. The sun was shining the whole time. Afterwards we ate dinner at The Casa de Campo Resort. I had a "Chicken Alfredo Pizza," and it is now my new favorite food. P.S. dad, I spent 20 dollars on two Pina Coladas, oops. Miss you Lindy. Ill see you all soon. Bye...

Joy and Sadness

While the kids may be too tired to post... I can´t resist posting to share a bit more with you. These students are great; they get up every morning without complaint at 6:30 am, they pitch in the first time asked, and they are so kind to one another. It has been a while since I have laughed as much as I have laughed with these students and adults. From watching Liam do his victory dance, to Sushil teaching me how to "really" throw a football, to Katey singing cheesy music at the top of her lungs, or Melissa and Marcela playing some of the most intense basketball I´ve seen in a long time, or Lizzie naming her cockroaches and mine, with Dominican names of course, they keep us smiling. They are a great group who have been so inclusive to everyone.
This joy is of course in contrast to the sadness we all feel at seeing the need and poverty in the bateys. We had a powerful reflection session last night and I listened to them mature so much in a short hour. They each shared a memory or realization from the first two days. Stories arose of the AIDS baby whom we knew would most likely die, the 18 year old who is suffering from stress headaches due to the realities of his life, or the malnourished mother and two children who had only three months ago journeyed alone from Haiti, or the realization that we have so many toys to give out and we don´t give them all out for fear of chaos. Questions arose such as how does my every day stress compare to those of people in the batey? How is our culture different from others? How necessary are my material possessions like ipods, tv etc? They are beginning to process the many inequities of the world, and the blessing of our own lives in big and small ways. You will have much to talk with them about when they come home!
Time for the evening room check. See you soon. -Galen

Bon soir!

To be perfectly honest, we´re a bit brain-dead at this hour of the night, as we were out reveling all evening at Casa de Campo, the super-spiffy resort in town. Thus, this posting might be a bit rushed. As I´m sure Emily mentioned, we visited our third batey today. It was the longest busride yet, and Salvador (our trusty busdriver) guided us through miles and miles of swaying green sugarcane on small, unmarked roads that wound through the fields beneath the azure sky. I was slotted to work the pharmacy today, though I ended up scribing with Marty, which I very much enjoyed. I got a chance--finally--to put my French to good use! Many of the residents of this particular batey spoke only Creole and/or French, so Johnny (one of the translators) and I were able to combine our talents and help the patients who didn´t speak Spanish, too. I´ve been talking a lot about my inability to talk a lot with this language barrier in the DR, so it was a relief to be able to speak coherently with someone in the bateys! Anyways, we spent the rest of the day lounging on the beach, soaking in the rays and noting some striking contrasts there.

That´s all for now,
Lizi
:o)

Wednesday- Not just a Day at the Beach

Today we began again early in the bateys, but unlike any other day after a days work we headed over to Casa de Campo, an extremely extravagent resort in la romana. The transition from this extreme poverty to extreme wealth was almost too much to grasp. To see that so close to where children were begging us to give them hats and toys today, other people were basking in the sun in lounge chairs sipping pina coladas was hard to comprehend. And then even more than that, today we joined that group of extreme upper class and enjoyed a day of luxury. It was absolutely beautful. Katey Mellisa andI enjoyed an intense banana boat ride in which we took many spills into the water. The boys played soccer on the beach, and overall it was a really fun day. However after a day of this it is hard to be sure about your emotions on it, because of the drastic change in envirnment. Im off to bed now, i miss you mom and dad! Emily P.

The second day

Hola!!

We have had nonstop adventures starting from the plane trip to the DR continuing to today, and for the rest of the week. Each day is a different and new experience, serious and funny. Last night we found out about the cockroaches that like to live in our hotel rooms. We went to Jumbo, a giant store that has everything and then we went for ice cream. THe dinners, breakfasts, and bus rides are bonding experiences for the group. Once at the batayes, we set out to work. THe first day, I worked with the kids, at the de-worming station. All the children are adorable. As most of us said, no matter what language they speak and no matter how poor they are, kids will be the same no matter what. They love playing games and they love gifts. It's so rewarding to see the kids smile when you give them something as small as a hair elastic. Then today, I saw a completely different aspect because I worked with Carol, the pediatrician who came with us. There was a little girl who was extremely malnourished and it was so sad to the condition that she was in.

Well I can't wait to go relax in the pool and speaking for the group, we can't wait to continue with the rest of the week. It's so enjoyable.

Adios y hasta luego!.
MArcela

Pictures Are Here!

Photos:

Top:Icecream at BON last night. Yum! Watch out, Kamau...someone wants your cone.

MIddle: Pictures from Batey Plumata today. On the left, Sushil works with Dr. Molly B. and an interpreter. On the right, Marcela works with Dr. Carol L.

Bottom: A group shot before dinner on Sunday. We're ready to go!

We've been having so much fun and doing great work at the same time. I have been so amazed with these kids from MB. Before I can even think of asking them to do anything, they've got it done. I can't imagine a better, more focused and fun group of people to be working with.

Lindy, we can't wait for you to arrive tomorrow! Have a safe jouney:)

Steve A....As for the weather, let's just say we're all working up quite a sweat during the day. It's so sunny & warm!

-Mo

Second Day in the Bateys

HOla!

We just arrived back from the bateyes after a second day of hard work. It is so good to be back down here...it's a wonderful feeling. Yesterday, everyone, including myself, was nervous to start the day, but today there was only excitement. Due to a long bus ride, we only spent about 3-4 hours in the batey, but were able to see about 100 patients which is INCREDIBLE. I'm so proud of everyone and our medical and spanish skills have sky-rocketed. The kids couldn't be cuter..."Dame una pelota" is now engrained in everyones' heads. On a more serious note, we've had a few families which have needed extreme care. One baby that came to the clinic yesterday had HIV and weighed only about 7 lbs. at 7 months old. Another family I met had a young boy, about a year old, was orphaned and was being raised by his grandmother, who was blind. All I could do for the women was hold her hand. Such tragic stories that make your heart ache.
We all have enjoyed ourselves so far and are estatic that we still have the rest of the week here. We miss Lindy terribly, but will HOPEFULLY see her tomorrow afternoon in time for the beach. Now its off to the hotel where we can all relax on our floaties in the pool!! Hope you are all having fun back in RI with the snow. Hello to my family and the 0, and I can't wait to share more stories with you all soon. Hasta luego!

Katey

Day One in the Batey

Hola! Como tamos?

Today was our first day working here in the bateyes. We have all happily adjusted to the temperature, the language, the work, and the culture.

And it was an intense amount of work. We have people registering and listing complaints, f0llowing the doctors, translating, filling prescriptions, and all of this is under the burning hot sun.

But that's not to disregard the amount of fun that we all had today as well. I found it amazing to talk with the kids. They told me their daily routine and talked to me about school. Baseball and soccer are unanimously the favorite sports; dolls are precious objects among the girls. They all played hand games and taught me their songs. The most personal part was when I asked all the kids what they wanted to be when they grew up. They all expressed a respect for what their parents are, but a distaste for actually doing it in the future. "Estamos en educacion para salir de eso" they told me, "we are working on our education to get out of this place" and with their shining smiles, I truly expect them to.

-Tatiana


What's up everyone,

Today was our first full day. We all had different jobs to perfom in the bateys. Myself, Sushil, Melissa, and our new friend Allie got to work in the pharmacy handing out medications to the people. The heat was expected but very difficult to deal with for me at first, but I think we all adjusted fairly well. The highlight for me had to be getting to hang out with the kids. Whether we were having simple conversations about our daily lives or doing our best Ronaldinho impressions, we enjoyed ourselves. I think the kids enjoyed themselves as well.

So, we're done with the work for today and it's back to the hotel for a little R&R. We all need to recharge for another undoubtedly busy day and have a chance to reflect a little bit. I think I speak for all of us when I say today was a true eye-opener. Now that our eyes are open, we can spend the rest of our week doing what we came here to do: help these people while having a little fun.


-Kamau

We arrived safely!

After a 3:45 send off from TF Green we had a smooth day of travel! No bags overweight no bags lost and all participants in good spirits. Unofortunately Lindy was too sick to join us and we miss her already, but hopefully she will join us later in the week.
After settling into their rooms students had a delicious dinner of rice and beans meat and salad. Rafael is our cook again this year! Then Molly and Marty taught folks how to take blood pressure and went over the jobs for tomorrow at the clinic. Carol the third doctor arrived at the end of this.
Wake up is at 6:30 tomorrow. We will be unloading meds at the hospital and then heading out to the bateys. The students have been very helpful and kind, we look forward to seeing them in action tomorrow! -Galen and Mo
PS Hope to be able to post pictures manana.

Dedicated Doctors Lead the Way

Doctors (from left) Carol L., Molly B., and Marty M. pack medications for the upcoming trip.

Looking Good in our New Scrubs

The scrubs are in (even if some sizes are slightly too large).

Lending a Helping Hand

Thank you to employees at Sallie Mae for helping Adriene B's son Kamau collect supplies for our upcoming trip.

Donations of Supplies a Great Success

Volunteers kicked off their spring break by sorting the donations we will be bringing with us to the DR. Students, teachers, doctors and a few friendly volunteers organized and packed over 18 duffel bags filled with supplies.

Amazing Group Does Awesome Fundraising

Tomorrow is our big packing day and folks reading the blog should know what an amazing group of students these folks are: they have raised over $3000 for the hospital and collected massive amounts of toiletries, meds and and toys. (Pictures to follow.) I can't wait to witness all they will give to others of themselves when we arrive in the D.R., since they have already given so much time and energy. I feel honored to be going with them.

My Pre-Trip Query

I am extremely excited to be going on the D.R. trip for my second time. At the moment, I am looking forward to warm weather and getting about from below freezing temperatures!! Besides that, I can't wait to travel with the students selected to go on the trip, they are all great and I love their excitement even more than my own.
The only thing I am nervous about is leading the group with Lindy and if anything were to go wrong, but I know this won't happen. I'm trying to spruce up my Spanish so I am comfortable speaking it when I go down there, and can be beneficial to the group.
All I can say is that I can't wait. I wanted to go on this trip again, simply to experience everything for a second time, but also to experience what other new things are in store. This trip is amazing; you learn so much about a different culture, a different country, but also yourselves. The interactions and experiences that you gain are so valuable, and it is nice to gather a new perspective outside of the bubbles we live in. I expect us all to come back much more traveled (and tan!) people. Adios!

Pre-Trip Queries

Why are you going on the trip?
What are you looking forward to?
Is there anything you're nervous about?

Over $300 raised at the Smoothie Sale! Good job Everyone!

Students raised over $300 on Friday, March 2nd at the Upper School Smoothie Sale. This money has been used to purchase a Johnson & Johnson medical supplies kit that we'll take with us to the DR. Thanks to everyone involved!

Students meet weekly to plan the trip and organize the collection of donations and supplies.

Bottom (from left): Lindy, Katey, Emily, Marcela with faculty member Maureen

Top (from left): Kamau, Liam, Sushil, Melissa, Lizi, Tatiana with Service Coordinator Galen

Sugar Cane on its way to the train for

transporting to the refinery.