Saludos todos! It has been a few weeks since my last post, and I will just update you on how things have been down here the past couple of weeks. So this session of classes has been very busy, as I also started a Political Science class up until this week, so a lot of my time has been spent reading, writing or in class. We also have our 20 page paper due at the end of this week, which everyone is trying to finish despite the internet that comes and goes each day.
When we are at ILAC during our school sessions, I volunteer at a school called Cien Fuegos in Santiago. The neighborhood 10 years ago was the most dangerous part of the city, where people did not leave their homes after 8:00 from all of the gang violence. However, slowly the neighborhood has changed for the better, the gangs have all moved, and there has been infrastructure development. However, the area remains one of the poorest areas of the city, and it is situated right by the city dump. The first week we arrived in the Dominican Republic, we got close to the dump, but weren’t allowed to go up onto it because the fumes were so bad. The worst part is that many children in the neighborhood actually work in the dump, where they go barefoot with a scarf around their mouth and dig for wood, metal, food, or anything that they could use or sell. It is highly dangerous for these children, and the life expectancy in the area is 10 years under the city average because of the toxic fumes and diseases.
So each Monday and Wednesday a friend and I take an hour public transportation ride to the school. We usually get some funny comments from locals on the way, many asking us what we are doing, or my favorite is when they will shout ‘I love you for you’ as the only English they know. The children and professors at the school are just amazing people, and we are always greeted with hugs and kisses. I work in the first grade with the most adorable 6 and 7 year old children, teaching them math, reading, or writing. It took a couple of weeks until the kids would stop treating me like a famous person and as a friend or teacher. However after the newness wore off with the joy and smiles of these beautiful children, I began to realize the real struggles that they face. The children are also pretty violent and the classes are very disorganized. The children just not paying attention, hitting, fighting, hair pulling, and biting are daily occurrences, and I didn’t understand why they were so violent and disruptive.
I am working at the school each week with children that have dirty nails, clothes, and lightly colored hair (a sign of malnutrition), and realized that these children are the ones working in the dump. Their home situations are violent, unsafe where the school may be their only safe haven. They are forced to get a job either cleaning shoes, selling small items, or working in the dump in order to help support their family. It made sense why they were always fighting, they were taking their anger out on each other and mirroring the kind of behavior that they are encountered with each day. Each time I go my heart is broken by some of the struggles and challenges I face, however their laughter, huge grins, and pure joy that comes from them, despite any struggles or conflicts they are facing, gives me such joy and peace. Going twice a week really is a highlight for me, as I get to share four hours of my day close to truly these children of God.
Today a couple of us went to visit our past campo for the day. It was a long day of traveling, but so worth it. It was so good seeing my family again, and I know they were happy that I came. My mom made me a huge plate of rice, a bowl of beans, fried fish, vegetables, and this egg, carrot dish. She brought it out and I thought it was for her whole family, but she put it right down in front of me.
When we are at ILAC during our school sessions, I volunteer at a school called Cien Fuegos in Santiago. The neighborhood 10 years ago was the most dangerous part of the city, where people did not leave their homes after 8:00 from all of the gang violence. However, slowly the neighborhood has changed for the better, the gangs have all moved, and there has been infrastructure development. However, the area remains one of the poorest areas of the city, and it is situated right by the city dump. The first week we arrived in the Dominican Republic, we got close to the dump, but weren’t allowed to go up onto it because the fumes were so bad. The worst part is that many children in the neighborhood actually work in the dump, where they go barefoot with a scarf around their mouth and dig for wood, metal, food, or anything that they could use or sell. It is highly dangerous for these children, and the life expectancy in the area is 10 years under the city average because of the toxic fumes and diseases.
So each Monday and Wednesday a friend and I take an hour public transportation ride to the school. We usually get some funny comments from locals on the way, many asking us what we are doing, or my favorite is when they will shout ‘I love you for you’ as the only English they know. The children and professors at the school are just amazing people, and we are always greeted with hugs and kisses. I work in the first grade with the most adorable 6 and 7 year old children, teaching them math, reading, or writing. It took a couple of weeks until the kids would stop treating me like a famous person and as a friend or teacher. However after the newness wore off with the joy and smiles of these beautiful children, I began to realize the real struggles that they face. The children are also pretty violent and the classes are very disorganized. The children just not paying attention, hitting, fighting, hair pulling, and biting are daily occurrences, and I didn’t understand why they were so violent and disruptive.
I am working at the school each week with children that have dirty nails, clothes, and lightly colored hair (a sign of malnutrition), and realized that these children are the ones working in the dump. Their home situations are violent, unsafe where the school may be their only safe haven. They are forced to get a job either cleaning shoes, selling small items, or working in the dump in order to help support their family. It made sense why they were always fighting, they were taking their anger out on each other and mirroring the kind of behavior that they are encountered with each day. Each time I go my heart is broken by some of the struggles and challenges I face, however their laughter, huge grins, and pure joy that comes from them, despite any struggles or conflicts they are facing, gives me such joy and peace. Going twice a week really is a highlight for me, as I get to share four hours of my day close to truly these children of God.
Today a couple of us went to visit our past campo for the day. It was a long day of traveling, but so worth it. It was so good seeing my family again, and I know they were happy that I came. My mom made me a huge plate of rice, a bowl of beans, fried fish, vegetables, and this egg, carrot dish. She brought it out and I thought it was for her whole family, but she put it right down in front of me.
So this next Sunday we leave for our next campo immersion trip. We are going to a community only 45 minutes away, where the majority of them work on the rice fields. We will be living with different families and building latrines, houses, and other small jobs with them. I am really looking forward to going and taking a little break from homework.
I'll post again after the campo. Take care everyone, I miss and love you! Te veo pronto - AB
No comments:
Post a Comment