Final Reflection - Bethany Gochenour

I learned that the Dominican Republic is a beautiful country that has gorgeous beaches. They draw tourists for their fresh fruits and beautiful jewelry. The Dominican people are some of the nicest people I have ever met, anytime you passed them they said hola and when we were going through the farmers market it was obvious some people needed to get places but they didn’t get aggravated with us like we would to them.  They simply just said hola and went about their business.

Now that I am at home I am letting all of my friends and family know what it is like in the Dominican Republic and I am more thankful for what I have and am more grateful for our schools and teachers because in the DR the teachers aren’t paid by the state, they are paid by the people in the village. Before going to the Dominican Republic, I knew I wanted to be a teacher but after coming but I have looked into the age group of k – 2^nd grade, because I feel like I really connected with this age group.

I would definitely recommend this program to other 4-H’ers looking for a cultural experience and those looking to help who aren’t as well off as us. It is important to continue this program because it really benefits these children in the Dominican Republic and the teens that go to help, because I had an idea of what I thought it would be like but now that I have gone I am extremely grateful for what I have and I am looking forward to going to help again.

Contributed by Bethany Gochenour, Shenandoah County

Final Reflection - Justin Broughman

Having participated in similar service projects in developing regions of the world in the past, it was a refreshing experience to give back to my fellow man for a week in the Dominican Republic. I took the role of male chaperone on a whim and felt honored to have been trusted and chosen to participate. From the day camp, the service project, and the interactions with the Dominicans, the trip reinforced my desire to travel and experience as much as possible while simultaneously devoting my time to those who have not been as fortunate as I have been in life. Now that I am back in the United States and have had a few days to reflect on the experiences, my goal is to rally support for the 4-H and this program in Bath County amongst my World Geography students, both past and present. Many, if not all, of my students need what I have dubbed a "cultural reawakening," an experience where they are able to travel outside of the rural confines of Bath County to experience what the world has to offer. With my enthusiasm, I believe that several will take a vested interest and give their teacher a reason to be proud.

Probably the most rewarding part of the trip was seeing the reactions of my fellow volunteers to the scenes around them -- begging children, open-air meat markets, being the ethnic minority for the first time, being unable to freely communicate...What makes trips such as this one special and memorable is their ability to take teenagers from rural Virginia out of their comfort zones. I hope the Virginia teens were able to recognize the luxuries we enjoy in the United States (clean water, readily available food, access to basic amenities) that serve as challenges for so many people in the Dominican Republic.

With the day trip to the relatively impoverished town of Higuey and the visit to the small village outside of Macao as guides, the 4-H does a wonderful job at introducing Dominican culture and way-of-life to teenagers who are often more distracted by texting, gossip, and Facebook at home. Seeing the stark differences between the socioeconomic classes of the Dominican Republic, particularly with the parallel drawn between the impoverished people of Macao versus the posh lifestyles of millionaire foreign investors near Punta Cana Resort, was something I will never forget and will be sure to educate my students on in the near future. If invited to participate again, I would hope to offer even more lessons on sociological and anthropological aspects of Dominican life, while tying in some historical facts and geopolitical knowledge. Above all else, students need to be made aware of the facts of life in an ever-shrinking, globalized, homogenized world, something at which this 4-H program and its coordinators excel.

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Contributed by Justin M. Broughman

Bath County High School

U.S. History and World Geography Teacher

Tour of Tortuga Bay

Today Jorge (one of the Dominican teens) met us at 9:30 a.m. with a golf cart to show us around the Tortuga Bay residential area.  This is adjacent to our Puntacana hotel.  Tortuga Bay was developed and designed by Oscar de la Renta.  The homes there reminded us of Robin Leech’s TV shows of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.”  Obviously a stark contrast to what we have seen this past week. 

Jorge and his aunt and uncle so graciously gave us a tour of their beautifully designed home of which they did themselves as architects. 

Then Jorge drove us around in the golf cart while several of us followed on bicycles.  The flowers were spectacular and I took many close up photos of them.  All of the lawns are taken care of by hired help and it is absolutely beautiful there.  Many of the homes are open air and I actually peeked (from the road) through the doors and could see the ocean on the other side. Wow…I do not think that I have ever been in a neighborhood like this.  Justin said that it reminded him of the Hamptons.  Jorge told us that most of these homes are rented, much like the beach houses at the beach in the US.  Rental fees for these homes range from $3000 to $7000 a day.  Of course, you also have a complete staff at your disposal for every whim that you may be able to pay for…This was a real treat for us and we will never forget this tour!!! 

Reflecting on this makes me again think more about our mission and service to the Dominican Republic.  We have made many friends with our Dominican teens and most of them we see every year.  This trip is not only changing and impacting our 4-Hers, but is also changing the  future leaders of the Dominican Republic and the world.  These more affluent teens of the Dominican Republic are learning service to their fellow country peoples. They have been everywhere with us and have commented on many of their experiences which I do not feel all of them have seen or been previously exposed to. 

As for Jorge, he is one of the most polite, sincere, and thoughtful teens that I have worked with and I will not forget him.  I wish him the best as he pursues his dreams.

Contrubuted by Suzanne Loveland, Shenandoah County chaperon

Last Full Day in the Dominican Republic

Today was the last day in the Dominican Republic which made everyone very sad, but we made the best of it. At 10 a.m. we went snorkeling out over a coral reef near the resort which everyone loved. We were able to swim over the reef and see all of the different kinds of fish and such. The guide let us stay there for about 45 minutes and then we took the boat to a natural pool in the ocean. It was completely clear, shallow, and calm. We were able to stay there for about 10 minutes and then we returned to the beach.

Shortly after we were finished snorkeling almost the entire group walked to the Lagoons which was a great way to cool off and relax for a good part of the day. There is one with shrimp that eat dead skin off hands and feet which is very neat. Then we went to the biggest lagoon and jumped off the side, about 2 meters up.

After we were all finished there we split up and did whatever we wanted to. Some people went to the pool, others went to the beach, and some of the adults even rented bicycles.

Around 5:45 p.m. we all met in the lobby to catch a shuttle to take us to Jean Paul and Joanna’s house for dinner and dancing. This year we didn’t dance as much as last year, but we taught the Dominicans some American dances like the Cat Daddy and the Wop which everyone thought was funny. Dinner was amazing.  After we ate, we all sat and talked. The Dominicans taught us more Spanish and vice versa.

It was a great evening and we didn’t get back to the resort until around 11:30 p.m. This is definitely one of my favorite things to do in the Dominican Republic - to go to their house and see how they live, dance, and socialize. It was a great last full day.  No one could have asked for a better one.

Contributed by Kathryn Flynn, Shenandoah County

Trip to Higuey on Father's Day

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dominican dads out there! I have said it before and I will say it again, today is probably one of my favorite days of the week. Today we got the opportunity to travel to Higuey, the eighth largest city in the Dominican Republic. We hopped on a bus at nine o’ clock this morning and traveled for approximately 45 minutes.

The bus ride there is interesting because you get to see the transition from the upper-class to the lower-class. The colorful buildings that we got to view on the way there were very neat; especially the wall murals on sides of buildings.

The first thing we got to see was the farmers market. I can still see the meat hanging in the hot open air, vegetables and fruits in crates and on tarps sitting on the ground, rice, beans, and grains in sacks, and the flood of people throughout the narrow street. The smell was much worse this year, many teens and chaperones said that they had to hold their breath just to walk through it. We saw so many eye-opening things, such as a woman carrying multiple live chickens home, blood from the animals running by our feet, and even four or five people riding on one motorcycle, scooter, or moped.

While walking through the farmers market, a familiar face greeted us, a local man who gave us a tour last year. He showed us different areas of the farmers market and new shops where we could buy little knick-knacks or souvenirs.

Following our shopping adventure and bartering with store employees for a lower price, we went to the restaurant we have gone to the past three years.

Following lunch, we visited the Basilica, a huge Catholic cathedral. The building displays many marvelous characteristics including, the giant mosaic windows, the tall arch, and the orange and gold accents around the cathedral.

We were finally ready to go and loaded up on the bus and headed back to the hotel to eat at Franco’s Pizzeria.  All of a sudden we hear a, thump…thump…thump…thump! The bus driver pulled to the side of the road, got out, inspected the bus, and got back in the bus. He told us that we have a nail in our tire and it was going flat. We went up and down the streets looking for a mechanic shop. Most were closed because of Father’s Day. After looking for about fifteen to twenty minutes we found one that was open. They jacked up the bus, removed the tire, and what we found out to be was a large screw through a piece of metal about the size of a large walnut. I was impressed by the workers we had, men and even two little kids working on getting us back on the road. It was definitely a relief once we were back on the road with a good tire.

We arrived back at the hotel just in time to get ready for dinner at Franco’s Pizzeria.  I cannot believe we only have one more full day. I dread to think about leaving, I wish we could stay longer. Can’t wait though till tomorrow when we get to go snorkeling! See you all soon.

Submitted by Chase Smith, Bath County