Sights, Sounds and Smells of Higuey

Today we left for Higuey – a very poverty-stricken city.  The street buildings are brightly-colored pinks, yellows, oranges & blues.  Very eye-catching!   People mostly drove on mopeds and motorcycles weaving in and out of the traffic and cutting in front of you. 

We arrived at the farmers market – people everywhere trying to sell fruits, veggies and freshly cut meat that they hung out in the air.  The smell was overwhelming and you had to watch where you stepped.  They actually butchered chickens right there!

I saw a lady walk by with four chickens tied together by their claws and there were chickens already dressed displayed at the counters to be sold to customers.  Following the market tour, we got to go in about 3 shops; most of them were closed because it Father’s Day here in the Dominican Republic. 

We are so blessed to be able to have electricity, running water, food on our table and a roof over our head with cool air-conditioning and it is so sad that so many people don’t get to experience such luxuries in life.  I am so thankful for what I have.  We all need to open our eyes and try to be a little more giving.  This is one project that I want to support in the years ahead for these precious children to have an education.

Contributed by Debbie Fadeley, Shenandoah County

Macao - Unforgettable

Our trip to a small village of Macao was one that I will never forget.  We had our bus packed with a trailer on the back.  Driving down a dirt road that was very narrow, it was clear that this was a very poor community with houses on one side of the road that were shacks of cinder block or sheets of tin nailed together with cement floors.  Windows and doors were open where I could see mattresses on the floor with mosquito nets in place.  Clothes were blowing on fences or wherever they might hang out to dry. Trash was everywhere, in the fields, on the roads, and in the yards. Skinny dogs walked around looking for water. 

There was an occasional brightly colored home with a beautiful yard but mostly they were best described as shacks.  People waved to us and came out of their homes and yards following our bus to the school. 

We had followed 2 Rotarians that have taken on this project to help them build a school that will meet the standards of the government so they can get some funding from the government.  When I got out of the bus, it was as if the whole community had come to greet us.  The little girls were in their Sunday best, boys trying to behave as they curiously looked at us, pregnant teenagers holding small children, elderly relatives carrying children, livestock wondering closely by. 

We carried our supplies into the school that is presently there.  It is a room with a cement floor that is 10 by 20 feet with corrugated tin walls.  There is one window and door.  I think that there must have been 70 people in that room.  The children, parents, and others all crowded in to see us, and sat still while we handed out candy and arm bracelets and took lots of pictures of beautiful faces……

The teacher was introduced to us.  She had been a maid at a local resort and decided that someone needed to do something for the children in her community….someone needed to teach them to read and write.  So she quit her job and is teaching young kids in the morning and older children in the afternoon. 

As I heard the Rotarian tell us all of this, my eyes became cloudy.  I had no idea that I would become that emotional or that I might be wiping tears.  I prayed for that angel that quit her job to try to make a difference in her community and that our donations might continue to inspire her.  I also praised God for what I have and for blessing me with so many gifts. 

Contributed by Suzanne Loveland, Shenandoah County 

The School in Macao

Today we drove for about an hour to a little village in Macao.  We took our school supplies, along with soccer balls.  As we approached the school, the kids knew we were coming and were dressed in their Sunday best.  They were absolutely adorable children! 

This school was about a 10 x 12 shack that held 45 kids and they were jam-packed. We walked inside and the kids were patiently sitting down in their chairs.  Some of us handed out candy.  I had jelly-bracelets, as well as star & smiley-faced stickers and it was a joy to see the smiles on their little faces when you gave them a treat! 

Justin put air into the balls and distributed them and they were tickled to get a ball to play with.  I noticed on the walls there were pictures colored by the kids with crayons. 

The heat was intense in that little room and you wonder how in the world anyone can stay in a room this small and teach children.  As I walked out the door, it was heart-breaking to say good-bye and it was all I could do to keep my emotions under control.

Contributed by Debbie Fadeley, Shenandoah County

Saturday Summary

Today was a very rewarding day. Ben Hulefield set up our service project this year. Unlike other years in the past where we planted trees, painted buildings, pulled weeds, and other landscaping things; this year Ben told us that we were going to be renovating school desks for a school in Macao. I enjoyed this year’s project even more because I know that these desks are going to be used by little children everyday.

I was surprised that after the service project we actually got to go to the school where the desks are going. I was truly inspired when I heard of the teacher’s background. She was working at a resort near Macao and noticed that there was no form of education in that village. So she gave up her job and put up a school in the village with only tin walls and tin roofs.  

As always we delivered school supplies to certain schools, we usually only donate supplies to Colegio Elizabeth in Veron, but this year we donated to two more, the school in Macao, and the school that Kayla from the Peace Corps works with in Veron.

We ended the night with Paul and Aligda Guidicelli taking us to a mall not far from our hotel for a little treat. I also got to meet Paul’s mother from Santo Domingo. Overall I was happy with the outcome of today.

Contributed by Chase Smith, Bath County 

Saturday Afternoon - School Supply delivery

At 2:00 p.m. a bus picked us up to take us to two impoverished schools that we donated our school supplies to. The first was in Macao and the second was in Veron. This is the first year that we’ve gone to the school in Macao. The Punta Cana Rotary Club is building them a new structure which is where the desks that we refurbished will be used. All of the kids dressed in their Sunday best and were on their best behavior just for us.

At the school a little boy stayed with Rachel because she was giving him bracelets and stickers, she finally just picked him up and walked with him.  He was the cutest thing ever!

The school is in bad condition.  There is only a wooden frame with different sheets of tin for the walls and roof, but the kids were happy regardless of their situation.

We also saw a really cute donkey. The school in Veron is better off than the school in Macao, nonetheless, the kids were just as happy to see us. When we were finished dropping off the school supplies we walked through the village and gave out candy.

On our way from Macao to Veron Jean Paul showed us a beautiful beach area. There were vendors everywhere trying to sell us hats and paintings.

After giving supplies, we headed back to the hotel. There we changed for our night out. Everyone looked very nice, especially Grayson and Bobby. The Guidicelli’s rented a bus for us to take a trip to a local mall. We got to the mall and immediately got something to eat. We ate pizza. We then went shopping although the merchandise was outrageously expensive. We packed up and headed back to the hotel. We had our evening reflections meeting and then called it a day.

Contributed by Rachel Harriman and Kathryn Flynn, Shenandoah County

Saturday morning - Service Project

In the morning we participated in a service project, with the Dominican teens, to refinish some broken down school desks that were going to be given to a small school in Macao. We all squeezed into a small van and drove to the place where all the donated school desks were. About 10 desks were already sanded and painted but were still missing backs and seats. We had about 70 desks to sand so they could be spray painted green.

We also had to hose them down a few times. When we left the men were finishing up spray painting the desks. We had accomplished a lot more than they were expecting us to because we all worked together.

Contributed by Dakota Funkhouser & Bethany Gochenour (Shenandoah Co.)

Second Day of 4-H Day Camp

Today was our second day of the 4-H Day Camp. If I had to describe today with one word it would be “success”. After saying goodbye to the campers yesterday, I was anticipating an exciting day today. When we arrived this morning multiple kids had already arrived. The campers were thrilled to get their tie-dye camp shirts this morning, after everyone got their shirts on we took our annual group photo with all of the campers, American and Dominican teens, and adults. Then we did a craft with them.  We made fish out of CDs and coffee filters for them to take home.

Then we taught the kids about the water cycle.  They acted as if they were a water molecule and went to the different stages water would go, and they got a bead to put on their necklace, rolled a die, and then went to that next stage in the cycle. They loved being able to run around and get some energy out. Then after eating lunch we taught them about the importance of the coral reef, they took play-dough and constructed a beach, water, the coral reef, and created multiple land and sea creatures. Then a hurricane (a bucket of water) went through and tested to see if the water would have harmed the animals.

Then the time they had all been waiting for, we loaded them up on a bus and took them to the beach. Unlike past years where many campers did not enjoy the “mushy” feeling in the ocean, we found an area that was more sandy. Throughout the day camp I got to know multiple campers, but do not get to spend much time with all of them. In the ocean I got to play with pretty much all of them. The kids requested time after time to jump off my shoulders into the water. I had such a great time in the water with them, I got to become even closer with them.

Then came the worst part of my week… saying goodbye. I created such a unique bond with so many kids, unlike any other. This year again I saw many of the same kids from past years, I loved watching their faces light up when seeing us again. This year we were fortunate enough to have the Peace Corps send 19 less fortunate kids to camp from Veron. I was glad to see that we were able to host kids from other places. Suzanne had mentioned that there is not a better feeling than getting a hug from one of them, she is completely right. It took everything in me not to shed a tear. One of the greatest things, was when they got their picture frames that they made yesterday with the group picture in it, they grabbed sharpies and approached every one of us teens and asked for a signature. It made me feel like a celebrity, which to them, we are. I will miss them all so very much, they all asked me if I will see them next year, I sure hope so, it is such an honor to represent Bath County, Virginia for such a great cause.

Contributed by Chase Smith, Bath County