After I returned home from the Dominican Republic this year, I ran into a 4-H Leader who asked about the trip and said she was recently around some local people who were talking about this program. They equated it to a mission trip and wondered what difference these kids could make in only a week. Was it really worth it? It seemed that we did so many different things during the week, but we didn't spend the whole week on one project. How could we have made any difference? It was an interesting observation and made me think about what difference we really do make in a week.
This was my sixth trip to Punta Cana with a group of Virginia 4-H teens. Every year has been different, even though the basic program is the same. Each year I watch the 4-H'ers discover a culture and language different from their own. I see them learn ways to communicate with Spanish speakers when words fail them, and I see their eyes opened to the world that exists outside their comfort zone. They develop as a team with each other and with their Dominican teen partners. Yes, they do conduct a couple of service projects that makes a difference in the local village, but the greatest difference I think I see during the week is in the 4-H'ers themselves.
I keep thinking about the story I read about starfish on the beach.
The Starfish Story
by: Loren Eisley
One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, "What are you doing?"
The youth replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they'll die."
"Son", the man said, "don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can't make a difference!"
After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish,and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said "I made a difference for that one."
I really like that story. One to one contact really DOES make a difference. I see that in the Virginia 4-H/Dominican Republic program. The growth and development that takes place in these young people in a week's time in another country is truly amazing. Reading the reflections they wrote after the trip brought tears to my eyes. They really "got it" this year. International travel, but more importantly, interacting with international PEOPLE is the way to build global understanding. You can't get that from a book or from the internet.
Many of these 4-H'ers described this progam as "life changing". They have seen their lives from a different perspective - and it made them appreciate what they have at home. It has also helped them see that the really important things in life are not material things. They now have a bond with people in the Dominican Republic. From now on, whenever these 4-H'ers hear something about the Dominican Republic in the world news, they will pay attention as they remember their Dominican friends. They will also be able to think about the Dominican perspective on that issue. How lucky they are to have developed that skill as teenagers!
So, like the starfish story, I think this program has made a difference in each 4-H'er who has traveled to the Dominican Republic, and in turn, each 4-H'er has made a difference in at least one Dominican life during this program. It has also been life changing for me.
I am thankful that the Virginia 4-H Program and Virginia Cooperative Extension are so supportive of the work that Christine Hodges and I do to conduct this program each year.
Carol Nansel
Shenandoah County 4-H Extension Agent
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