Saludos from the Dominican Republic! After arriving
safely to Santo Domingo, the Volunteers spent 3
days in a beautiful convent (that incidentally used to be the house of Trujillo's son) in the
capitol. During their briefing, the Volunteers got to know each other (including
6 Dominican volunteers), the Project Staff and our partner agency, PLAN
Internacional-República Dominicana. The Volunteers received more
country-specific training, including the intricacies of hanging up a mosquito
net creatively, the art of hydration and honing their mango-peeling
skills. After getting up very early Saturday morning, the Volunteers were
bussed to San Juan
and Azua, depending on their community assignments, for a youth encuentro (training), where they met the
youth counterparts who they will be working with in their communities.
The Volunteers regaled their Dominican counterparts with skits about CBI
projects, utilizing unlikely props to cover the key aspects of the
process. Worn out from the dramatics, we had a typical Dominican lunch of
rice and beans, chicken and plantains before the Volunteers were dropped off in
their respective communities. This week, the Volunteers will be busy
getting to know their host families and beginning the campamentos (educational activities) and community-based
initiatives (CBI) proposals. And they will be enjoying mango season, of
course!
“This is an organization that gives people, at a very young age, exposure and opportunity to understanding and serving people that brings about greater understanding and compassion on all sides of national borders. I believe that if all young people were to do AMIGOS, or something like it, they’d be off to a more educated and enlightened start as they pursue their callings in life.”
–Catherine Araiza, Organization Development Consultant, The Methodist Hospital
