Up in the Mountains

Days 11-23

Time does not seem to slow down here in Barahona, despite the relaxed attitude of the people who live here.  My days have been filled with activities and jobs of various sorts, from the Bakery Project, to the unofficial school photographer, to being a coach, and to just being present.  

Each day starts off early with mass at 6:30 in the morning.  I’ve adjusted to this schedule, although reluctantly at first, and have found it peaceful to begin the day in church, being able to see the sun out the eastern windows.  After mass, we head back the house for breakfast, which we quickly eat to be prepared for the kids who arrive to start school at 7:30.  We get our work done during the day, with lunch at 12:30 and dinner at 7:30.  After dinner, we have our personal time to relax and get ready for the next day ahead of us.

Like I stated in the first post, there are two sessions of school each day – one in the morning and one in the evening.  Each has a recess period, and during that time, we all go outside to interact with the children and relax from work for a bit.  At first the children were shy around me, but now they’re not afraid to approach me.  The other day, a boy came up to me and asked:

Boy: Are you from the United States?

Me: Yes, I am.

Boy: Are you white because you ate a lot of rice?

Me: (Laughing) Yes, of course!  And too much milk.

Boy: You don’t eat anymore rice.  I’ll eat rice and we can switch places!

The children are really the life of this place.  Even when school is not in session, the children will hang around until the gates close at night, around 7 or 7:30.  The Salesian sisters here always treat the children with extra care and love, and with 700 kids, it can be hard.  Occasionally, a child will come to school hungry, having not had dinner the night before or breakfast that morning.  While the sisters do not want the children to get used to depending on them for meals, they will never turn a child away hungry.    Other times, children will ask for help with a task or other problem, and the sisters always take time to give attention to the children.  When the children are acting up, the sisters are not afraid to correct their actions, but only through words and positive examples.  Just observing their attitude towards the children is a learning guide for me.

Last Wednesday, a group of us from the parish took a trip up in the mountains to a nearby village.  It’s ‘relatively’ nearby in that it’s probably only 10 miles or so away from here, but takes about 45 minutes to drive to.  Off the main road, it’s just a dirt road that gets washed out badly during rainstorms.  Traversing the ruts and mud uphill is a slow process, but it was scenic all along the way.  From up on the mountains, you can face out and see the ocean, with a dense tropical forest to your back that looked as if it could swallow you whole.  

Due to the remote location, the people in the mountains have very little and live thriftily.  Chickens, hogs, and donkeys are a common sight for the people there and provide food for families.  Fresh fruits and vegetables grow in the forest, which the people depend on every day.  Many of the villages are small pockets of houses packed closely together; small communities scattered along this dirt road in the mountains.  As we drove by, the adults would wave and the children would run after the truck for a short ways, cheering and smiling.  We finally came to a school atop a hill to donate supplies and visit the people in this community.  As we pulled up, people gathered around to warmly welcome us and invite us into their community.

While we were there, we also brought another gift.  For Christmas, my brother, Paul, gave me a soccer ball to take with me on this trip.  Well, I came to find out that most people don’t play soccer here; it’s all basketball and baseball.  Luckily, it was a new ball (American-made too!) and the markets are flexible here – we were able to trade the soccer ball for a basketball and get a discount on a hoop.  The school had wanted to build a basketball goal, but did not have funds for one.  Thanks to Paul’s gift and the Sister’s bargaining (and a few extra pesos) we were able to get the supplies to finish the basketball goal for the kids.  When we presented the gift, I told them it was from my family and the Sisters here.  To show thanks, they sang a song for us, which was very heartfelt.  Paul - know that your gift to me has gone much further than I could have made it go on my own and you have impacted the people here.

After the visit, on the way back down the mountain, I was reflecting on what we experienced.  The people didn’t need a basketball goal; certainly it may have been more beneficial for us to trade in the ball for more school supplies, or even other items needed by the community.  But the group insisted on a basketball goal, because it’s more than just an activity.  It gives the children something to do together, than they can all share in.  It’s an outlet for the children who are otherwise secluded from the rest of the city.  There’s something to be said for learning the value of teamwork at a young age, and while basketball is not the only way to learn it, I think it’s an easy and positive way for kids to do so.

On the way back, I was speaking with a few of the other volunteers who made the trip with us.  Three were from Haiti, and had learned English there (as well as French, Spanish, and Creole).  They were encouraging to speak with, giving me confidence that I’ll pick up Spanish in time.  They came to the Dominican Republic to study to become doctors.  They spoke with pride about their country, but also with sadness because the people need so much there.  He said many people who are lucky enough to get educated in Haiti end up leaving the country for good, because of the instability of the economy and political situation.  These young men were different though and it was very inspiring to hear their stories.  They wanted to become medical doctors and return back to Haiti to help.  They realize they could make much more money in other Caribbean countries as doctors, but choose to help their people over making money.   As one of the Haitian volunteers said, 

“The government does not take care of the people, the communities take care of the people.  But what happens when the people leave and stop caring for one another?  Things will never improve that way.  That is why we must help.  If no one helps, everything will stay the same.”

I hope everyone back home is safe and well.  You all are in my thoughts and prayers.  Peace.