In less than a week.....

Hola and welcome to my blog.

So far I have managed to get lost four times, get a nice tan, surprise my kids at the Orphanage and pick up a few more words in Spanish. Nonetheless, I can tell this is the start of great summer in the Dominican Republic.

Upon arrival, I was inserted into a Spanish speaking community whereas my Spanish at the moment is nowhere near what is expected but with a few si’s and a smile or two I have been able to make my way around my new home. I have spent days walking around my new neighborhood observing the interactions of mother and child to cab driver and pedestrians, delivery man and my neighbors. I see love in the mother’s eyes as she consoles her daughter after she has fallen from her bike, attempting to sooth her distraught child. I see the stress of capitalism as the cab drivers search for people to select their cabs. As I drown myself into this culture, I hold on to my own Haitian identity to give me strength as I walk these streets alone.

This trip was inspired by my first Dominican Service trip back in 2009. A group of eight students including myself decided to start a movement of service in the Dominican Republic. As we spent our spring break working with the orphans of Villa Benedicion, we also observed the education system, the Haitian-Dominican relationship, and the politics that have corrupted the growth of the country. We entered the country with plans of marking an imprint on the way of thinking, leaving the Secretary of Education speechless, and winning the hearts of the children.

With this trip I have started building a house. Metaphorically speaking, when one builds a house you have to follow many steps to make sure your house can stand the storm, as well as look as pretty on the inside as the exterior. It takes time for a house to be a home. With that said, we have built a relationship with the kids at Villa Benedicion and we can’t leave them now. They deserve a chance. Too many people have come and gone in their lives. I promise not to be one of them.

For the summer, MUDHA has given me the opportunity to do just that. Continue giving service to these communities that need it the most. My work with MUDHA allows me to go into the bateys as well as talk to the teachers in efforts to give them hope and help create a better learning environment for the children. The bateys are the main location of the Haitians and the Dominicans of Haitian descent. These are the poorest and most neglected areas in the Dominican Republic. They are in need of support and I’m going to do my best to help them receive it. These communities deserve a chance.

I leave you with this final thought:

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
- Edmund Burke