Vamos a la Playa

The From the Ground Up Winterim group has sent this update about their first day in a new part of the Dominican Republic, having left El Mango, the community they were working with for the first week and a half of Winterim:


Hola amigos!

Today (Tuesday) was bittersweet, as we left the mountains of Yasica for the playa (beach) of Las Canas. Although we were sad to say good-bye to the leaders and people we had met while working in the schools and on the construction site, everyone was excited to see a new part of the DR and experience Dominican life at the beach.

We arrived at the Beach Comber, which could not offer a more lovely or serene ocean view. After checking into our rooms, we headed to the Mariposa Foundation, where we met up with the other DR Winterim group and learned about the Foundation, as well as the project that group was working on. It was great for the students to see what other work was happening in the DR, as well as for them to have lunch and say hi to the other LA students! The Mariposa Foundation works with local girls and young women to help prevent generational poverty through education and support groups. It was beneficial for both Winterim groups to learn about the work each other had been doing and the many different ways to contribute to helping a community.

After lunch, we returned to the Beach Comber, where we had some truly genuine and thoughtful reflection time as a group. We focused specifically on what it felt like to be "the other" in a new place in terms of thinking about race, socioeconomic status, and language. We also discussed the importance of being "unplugged" this trip, and what it felt like for the students to not have technology (phones, tablets, Wi-Fi, etc). As they have done each evening with the reflections, the students impressed us with their insight and honesty. Students talked about how they realized for the first time how fortunate they are and how  much they take for granted. They also discussed the difference being "poor" and "living in poverty," meaning it's one thing to lead an empty life but have a lot of material possessions, versus if they lead a full, community-driven life, but not necessarily have a lot of material wealth. In terms of the technology, it was refreshing to hear how much they enjoyed not having their phones. This group has bonded in such a way that they have truly become a Winterim family, and they unanimously attributed that to the lack of available technology.

Tomorrow (Wednesday), we will be taking a boat tour to learn about the marine wildlife in this area, as well as visiting different beaches. We will have a culminating reflection and discuss a "Call to Action" plan, where we will encourage the students to take what they have learned from this trip and apply it to their lives back home.

This trip has been one to remember, and we know our last day here will not disappoint. We are looking forward to enjoying the last of our time in the DR, and we know the students are as well.

Sending ocean waves and warm breezes,
Kacey and Rob