Learning about myself in the DR

Our service trip to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic was as much of an external service project to the community we visited, as it was an internal self lesson. Along the way, I learned more about myself in one week, then I could’ve in years, otherwise. The reason? For one whole week, we spent our time focusing on the ones around us and making a difference, rather than ourselves. I learned things about myself that I never expected to. I realized my urge to help others, my compassion to work with kids and discovered a sense of leadership that went far beyond my previous experiences. Along with this, I found a sort of self-content that can only come from being a part of something bigger than yourself.

Going into this experience, I was very unsure of what to expect. While I’ve been to Central America before, and seen up-close the poverty and living extremes that inhabit third-world countries, I had never been exposed in a way like I knew I would be on this trip. Meeting the kids and the families of the lives we would impact through our service trip and getting hands-on experience working to make a difference in this community would be a life changing opportunity, I knew. However, what I was not prepared for was the warm embrace our 4-H group was welcomed with, and the extraordinary people that we worked along side during this trip. Gone was the initial nervousness I first felt, as it was replaced with a sense of kindness and appreciation that the Dominicans we encountered exuded. The impact we made not only on the community, but on the lives of the people was evident on each and every face in different ways- whether it was the beaming face of a kid who was handed a new soccer ball, or the quiet relief on a school teacher’s face as new school supplies were delivered or even the friendly surprise of a hotel employee we greeted. It was truly amazing to be able to visibly see the difference that you, yourself could make. There is something to be said about having the opportunity to be able to do so much for a country that has so little.

The culture we experienced while in the Dominican Republic was simply incredible. It’s one thing to eat jerk chicken, or listen to some reggae music back in the states, than it is to visit a Caribbean country, that is for sure. One of the most important and influential things a person can do, is visit another country and live in a different culture. In fact, I would say it’s an absolute necessity. You can learn more about others, and yourself, by doing this, than you can by doing just about anything else. As a group, we experienced different lifestyles, religion, language, music, entertainment, and food. Every day we ate traditional Dominican food, listened to island music, learned new sentences in Spanish and even learned to Salsa and Merengue, typical Dominican dances. I definitely believe others should have the experience I, and this amazing group of 4-H teens, did this year. To help a third-world community, experience culture, and learn so much about other people is a truly awesome experience that should be shared all around.

Submitted by Julia Billingsley, Highland County

What Difference Does This Program Make? The Starfish Story.

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

Beyond the Language Barrier

This past July I was part of the group that got to go to the Dominican Republic to do a 4-H Day Camp and a service project. When we arrived, I thought to myself, "I can not wait to go out into the community and see how people live here." But when we were able to do that, it affected me more then I thought it would. I was able to see how the kids lived there, and it was hard to watch. But when they saw us, their faces seemed to light up. It was great to see how much we cheered them up just by giving candy and playing soccer with them.

Then when we had the two days of Day Camp, it was a wonderful experience to see how we all got along. Even though there was a language barrier, we were able to communicate and have a great time. All the kids loved being outside and also being involved in the whole camp experience. Overall, it was one of the best experiences of my life and I can't wait until next year.

Kathryn Flynn, Shenandoah County

A Trip Filled With "Firsts"

The trip to the Dominican Republic was an amazing experience! As this being my first year going, I know I learned a lot and brought a lot of great memories back with me. There were a lot of firsts for me: first time flying; first time outside the US; first 4-H representative from Alleghany county; and first time using my Spanish outside of the classroom. Meeting so many new people and trying so many new things was something I’ll never forget.

The kids’ day camp at the biodiversity center was probably the most fun for me. Even though it was my first year, by the end of the first day all the campers and counselors were like old friends. The campers also taught me an important lesson; to appreciate the small things. Even though they did not have a lot, they always came in with smiles on their faces. I noticed that almost everywhere we went, everyone was always smiling. That really opened my eyes and showed me how lucky I am for all that I have.

As much as I enjoyed the day camp with all the campers, one of the best days for me was the service project day. Planting trees and cleaning the yard at the Polytechnic High School was very rewarding. At the end of the day it was nice to look around and see all we had accomplished. Although it was hot and everyone was tired, it was worth it to know how much the work was appreciated.

Going to the city of Higuey was definitely an……….adventure! It was pretty much the complete opposite of the area in Punta Cana where we were staying. When you get to the resort the first day, you imagine that all of the Dominican Republic will look that beautiful. When we first arrived at Higuey, I had to do a double take to realize that this was the same country that I was in a few hours before. Seeing all the poverty made me remember that I was in a developing country.

I would like to thank everyone that made this trip happen; I wouldn’t have had this incredible adventure and opportunity without all their help. It was an absolutely amazing week that was fun, exciting and full of hard work and amazement. I made new friends, both in the Dominican Republic and with the other teens from Virginia, all of with whom I’ll keep in touch. I recommend this trip to others so they can have the same amazing time that I did helping others, speaking Spanish, and learning about another culture. I understand why others return year after year; I honestly can’t wait until next year!

Savanna Herr – Alleghany County

An Amazing Week

This was my first year going to the Dominican Republic and I definitely enjoyed my visit. I would say it was the best part of my summer. Being my first year going, I didn’t know what to expect. Even though I had heard a lot from the others that had been on the trip before, I was surprised at how friendly and welcoming everyone was and how easy it was to make friends. The resort we stayed at was probably the nicest place I have ever stayed and the food was great!

The Service day project was a very challenging project physically in the hot sun. We planted over 100 trees. We discovered that we were planting over limestone, so we had to use pick axes to dig through it. We always found local people staring in at us, we could overhear one of their conversations, and they said, “Ah, gringos can work.” We just smiled and continued to work. When we finished we realized how much we had done and were happy that we were going to make others happy.

One thing that I will never forget was the day camp. Even though it was for only 2 days, there was not a dull moment, from making crafts, to playing soccer with the campers. The kids were constantly full of energy. The campers really enjoyed tie-dying their camp shirts. I thought that the language barrier would have been difficult to deal with, but because the kids were so young they spoke what seemed like basic Spanish so it wasn’t difficult at all to communicate with them.

The most eye-opening day was the trip to Higuey, and I believe it makes an impact on everyone who goes there. You see how different it is from the US and how much we have that they don’t have. Even though sanitation and pungent smells where distracting; it didn’t stop us from enjoying the city. It makes you wonder how they get by on so little. Compared to their life it makes my life look almost perfect. But despite this difference, when we walked down the street everyone had a smile on their face and always greeted us with enthusiasm.

On the last day we were invited to Jean Paul and Joanna’s house. There we ate great food, enjoyed dancing and talking with everyone. They were just like any other teens, but a lot better dancers! Their parents showed great hospitality, and everyone had a lot of fun.

This experience taught me great patience working with little kids and how much joy we brought to them with just simple games and crafts and just spending time with them. I think this program should continue because you do learn a lot about other parts of the world; how different and yet how similar we are. It is a great experience and opportunity.

I would like to thank Virginia 4-H for letting me go, because this was the first year that Alleghany County was invited to go; it was an amazing week and I couldn’t be happier on how the trip went. I had a great time with everyone who went and made a lot of new friends. I am already looking forward to next year!

Morgan Herr – Alleghany County

A Rewarding Experience

Hello, my name is Sarah! I'm a talker so I will try to keep this short. This was my second time to go on this wonderful 4-H service project. I feel very blessed to be able to experience a new culture in such a hands-on way.

The day camp was amazing. It went smoothly and the children were so much fun. I was able to become very close to the children despite only being with them for two days. The Dominican teens were great, but they always are! I still talk to them whenever I get the chance on facebook and skype.

On the trip we worked hard in the hot weather planting trees, playing with the Dominican children at day camp, going to the city of Higuey, snorkeling on the gorgeous reef and staying at the beautiful resort. I would recommend this trip to everyone. We worked hard but had just as much fun. This 4-H service project is one of the most fulfilling and rewarding things I have ever done and I will hold this experince near and dear to my heart for the rest of my life.

Contributed by Sarah Wright, Bath County

Dominican Republic 4H style

I had the privilege this summer of traveling as a chaperon with the 4H group to to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. To be honest though I was eager to go and see for myself this wonderful country, I was worried that I might not be able to stand the heat or would get sick and wind up being a nuisance rather than a help. This was the first trip out of the US that I had taken in over 16 years. The first vacation in 6 years. Thankfully I found that I'm still a pretty good traveler and still flexible enough to get out of my comfort zone and be able to enjoy experiencing new cultures and foods. My fellow travelers were a wonderfully compatible group. The adults were cheerful, flexible and hardworking. The teens were polite, responsible, caring and enthusiastic. Cudos to Christine and Carol for putting together such a wonderful group to travel together.

On our arrival at the Punta Cana resort we were greeted like returning family by staff members and the Dominican teens who had helped out with earlier trips. Throughout our stay the Dominicans we encountered were friendly, helpful and very tolerant of our attempts to speak Spanish. The Dominican teens and VA teens blended together with wonderful ease. Several of our teens were on their second, third or fourth trip to the Dominican but even the US and Dominican teens that were new to the program fell into an easy friendship that was wonderful to see.

The day camp was a bustle of activity and hard work that was rewarded by the happy smiles of the children and their parents. It also proved that kids are kids the world over. They like to smile, play games, make things, toss water balloons. They run when you want them to walk. They are eager to be first in line. They love the attention of older kids and adults. They like to be hugged and have their picture taken. The messier the craft, the better they like it. They get restless when they are having to sit and listen. I could go on but I think anyone who has helped with a day camp, vacation Bible school or any kids activity gets the picture. Anyone who wants to go on this trip need not worry about what the kids at day camp will be like. They are just kids who happen to speak Spanish and you can't help but love them.

The trip to the school for our service project and to the little elementary school to deliver supplies really makes you wonder why we need so much to educate our children. Seeing many of the houses, transportation and shops make you wonder why we as a society need so many "things" to feel we have the proper lifestyle. Even the nicer homes are more simply constructed and furnished than our homes. I traveled a lot as a child and have seen and experienced first hand before third world conditions so some of the scenes came as no surprise to me but they did serve to remind me once again how fortunate I am. It was interesting to see the impact of the sights and smells of the farmer's market, the schools and the street kids had on the teens in our group and to hear their comments in the evenings on the day's events.

I have rambled on long enough I think. The Dominican Republic is a beautiful country. The people are warm and friendly. Through this program the 4H and the USA have a wonderful ambassadorship to another country. I do hope it will be possible to continue it for many years to come so more teens will have the benefit of this experience.


Ellen Miller