Day 7: Hug-a-palooza

Our last day in the DR was full of laughter and bonding from beginning to end.  It kicked off with the girls successfully pranking the boys for the second time, followed by a delicious stack of pancakes. After the laughter had died down from the prank, it suddenly hit us that we were watching the sun rise over the misty Dominican valley for the last time.  It was bittersweet knowing that we had a full day ahead of us with the girls at the Mariposa foundation although it would be our last.

So we embarked on our daily party bus driven by DJ Juan Martin making a stop at the local public school where we were greeted by a very enthusiastic principal.  After receiving a tour of the grounds we were all much more appreciative of both our beautiful learning environment and advanced education system.

Upon arrival at the Mariposa foundation we immediately assumed our usual positions that we had now become accustomed to and grabbed the hand of our favorite little girls then ran off to play.  We savored every moment we had with them knowing we didn't have much longer, but the party we had to look forward to at the end of the day keep us in good spirits.  The activities we had planned for the girls the previous night quickly dissolved into a party themselves as the girls ended up just running loose and taking numerous pictures.  With photoshoots galore, every Mariposa girl had mastered the art of the selfie.  We had prepared a slideshow of our own for the girls, composed of the best out of the thousands of photos accumulated throughout the week.  Immediately after the slideshow ended a heavy feeling of sadness fell over us all and we knew the time had come to say our goodbyes.  Hug-a-palooza broke loose across the grounds of the foundation as we said "Adios" to every little girl, whether we had had her by our side the entire time or only said the occasional "Hola".  After exchanging Facebook information; we were simultaneously holding back our tears while mentally planning our return trip to the Dominican Republic and the Mariposa foundation.  We boarded our bus and headed back to the hotel to pack for our very early flight.

-Mati & Leia

Day 6: Musica Maravillosa con las Mariposas

This morning, we headed off for another exciting day with the Mariposa girls. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the hugs and smiling faces of our new friends and quickly assembled in a circle to sing our morning songs. We were excited to get into the classrooms and implement the new lesson plans we devised yesterday. The games were divided into three categories: literacy, English, and math. We learned over the last few days that the girls are very active and competitive, like most young kids. We've took this into account while creating our educational games. As a result, we tried to provide a learning element while also including physical activities and other ways for the girls to have fun. Although some activities were more successful than others, we all enjoyed having a leadership position with the kids.

We then stopped into the English classroom, where the kids took their turn teaching us. They taught us some fun and challenging tongue-twisters that we said together in Spanish. We took turns presenting our tongue-twisters, while engaging in some exciting competition. In return, we taught them a few English tongue-twisters of our own. It was fun to watch each other step outside of our comfort zone and gain confidence in a new language. We also enjoyed playing a game of hangman with the kids that involved words in both English and Spanish.

Not only did we engage with the kids, but we also spent time helping to improve their facility. Today's focus was the back of the building, where we painted a wall, fixed the path, and worked on the garden. Despite the heat and mosquitoes, it was rewarding to see the result of our hard work today.

After the academic class and service project were finished, we engaged in another intense game of softball with the girls. Although each team had a few home runs and spectacular catches, our athletic skills proved to be no match for the fierce Mariposa girls.

Following the game, we concluded the day with an inspiring musical performance by the Mariposa's talented musical group. They played songs reflecting the center's three main values for the month of February: paz (peace), libertad (liberty), and justicia (justice). One song highlighted the importance of environmental preservation, discussing how some large corporations come here for gold and metal supplies, at the expense of the country's water supply. Another told the history of the Mirabal sisters: Patria, Minerva, and Maria Teresa. These sisters stood up for their country during the rule of Trujillo. Although they were eventually assassinated, they had used the word "mariposa" as their code name, which is where the center got its name. All the songs included a drum ensemble as well as guitars and singers.

We had a great time participating in all of today's activities and completing our service project. We look forward to a full day tomorrow including a visit to the local public school, a goodbye party at the center, and a hike.

-Kristina, Faith and Daven

Day 5: Lesson Planing and New Friendships

“No seas tramposa.”  

Jennifer had playfully pushed me after a friendly competition of Around the World.  These interactions were the ones that made leaving the girls to work on the project hard to do.  The groups of volunteers were split up into those who would work on the garden and those who worked in classrooms with the girls. 

During one of our reflections, we agreed that the economic situation of the Mariposa girls should not dictate their opportunities and ability to get an education.  Because of that, we worked on math skills that would better prepare them for the exams that would lead to a future that could break the cycle of poverty.  As well as math games, we also worked on creating new lesson plans that could better improve their math skills and their literacy in both English and Spanish.

Tomorrow we are excited to introduce the girls to new games and lessons that are educational as well as active.

Day 4: Meeting Mariposas

At the Mariposa Foundation the smiling faces of the Mariposa Girls and staff greeted us. We got into a large circle and began the day by singing a group song and moving and clapping along. We then divided into groups and began assisting in classes and projects. The first thing we noticed was how friendly the girls were; very outgoing. As soon as we walked in the room, they would hug and act as if they had known us for a long time. Even though some of us struggled with the language barrier, the girls were helpful, patient, and still just as loving. The community amongst the girls is like that of the barrios, very reflective of Dominican culture. After spending very little time with us, we had already created friendly bonds. Some girls were even inviting us to their home.

In the morning we worked with the younger girls, most of whom were around age eight. They were very cute and easy to talk to. Some of our group members were worried when moving on to the older group, because we were afraid they would feel as if we were talking down to them. This feeling however, completely disappeared once we met the girls, as the experience was as if we were speaking to a friend, rather than a student.

We did three activities at the Mariposa Foundation: math, writing, and painting. One activity was playing math games with the girls, who were at varying skill levels. Some games included throwing giant dice into the air and then adding the numbers on them when they landed. Others included math flashcards in a competitive game. The girls would get competitive, but still remained light, friendly, and cheerful. We also helped them write letters to their pen pals at the Lower School at Parker. Fourth graders had previously written letters to each of the girls asking them questions about their life and telling the girls facts about their own lives. Here was the language barrier: the letters were written in English and we helped them translate to Spanish. The last activity we did was painting the building’s back wall white, which we had sanded down yesterday.

           

The day was finished with a fun, competitive softball game between the Mariposa girls and the volunteers. The older girls were very sassy, funny, and spirited. Working with them was somewhat similar to the younger girls, but they were goofier than the younger ones. More jokes were told and they had a less serious approach to class. Our day winded down by some relaxing time at the beach. We are looking forward to working with all of the girls tomorrow.

-Marissa, Eliza, and Ben

Day 3: Barrios & Butterflies

The wet gravel slides under the tires of the bus as Juan Martin says “estamos aqui.” The Mariposa Center, the place where we will be spending the next five days fills us with uncertainty. What would we be doing here for the next couple days? When will we be seeing the girls? When will we start the mission we have been talking about for the last five months?

Suddenly, a lady jumps on to the bus and introduces herself as Amanda. She was joined by another southern Californian, Krista, who would be helping us the whole week. We all learned each other’s names and then split into two groups. One group would visit the neighborhood while the other group toured the Center. We set off for the barrio, where about 70% of the Mariposa girls live and met up with Tricia, a tough Bostonian lady who seemed to captivate everyone around her. We were soon weaving through the houses, saying “hola” to the people’s houses we entered. Although the people’s houses we visited were not (by our standards) in any condition to live in, their attitudes reflected differently; they welcomed us into their homes with smiles and made us feel like part of their community.

As we continued to walk through the neighborhood, we were able to see more of the poverty that seems to always be overlooked by the countless tourists that come to enjoy the luxurious beaches and disregard the poor conditions of those on the other side of their resorts. We were constantly dodging debris, skipping over rain puddles, and steering clear of stray animals. It was an eye-opening experience for us all, being able to see the stark contrast of poverty against the former day’s relaxation and blissful ignorance as we traveled from beach to beach.

When we returned to the center, the groups swapped activities and we began the tour of the center. Once being shown the spaces where we will collaborate with the girls, we finally got our hands dirty on our first construction project. Pierda para la pared in hand, we began to sand down the back wall, preparing it to be painted.

After smoothing down the walls and working up a sweat, we climbed back into the bus and hit the beach to finish off the day. However, today’s trip to the beach came with a different outlook; we saw the mass tourism through a darker lens as we had just come from the striking poverty of the local community. All in all, we had an impactful day and are excited to see what the rest of the trip has in store for us.

~Reece & Kian

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Day 2: Fun in the Sun (and rain)

After a fulfilling sleep we were awaken to the smell of fresh air and hazy fog that covered the valley below us. We were treated to a delicious breakfast and after began our exciting day.  At 8:00 a.m. the bus took us to Laguna Gri Gri. We began with a walk to see some of the beautiful beaches. After a short while the light drizzle began to transform into a powerful rainfall. All of us began to run for dry cover leaving Ms. Allen strolling with her pink umbrella. (Always prepared)

To get away from the rain, we went to a small shop. There, we were surprised to find that mostly everything was hand made, which compared to San Diego tourist shops is pretty amazing! As the rain died down, we were able to return to our schedule and take an informative and fun boat ride! After a delicious lunch at a local restaurant called Mar Adentro, we were able to see young men doing daring jumps off of a 40ft waterfall. We found it really interesting that these men could find this fun hobby that they enjoy into a way to make money, since there are limited amount of job offers in the Dominican Republic.

After touring more of the local beaches, we settled into a beautiful, clear cove. Here there were many statues honoring the native peoples before Spain had conquered the Dominican Republic in 1492. Here we were able to experience the beach culture as well as getting some sun ourselves. We finished the day with a filling and tasty meal and are excited to meet the girls tat the Mariposa foundation on Tuesday!

By: Aly A. and Raquel R.

Day 1: Arrival and Getting Acclimated

After two flights, nine hours (with a three-hour layover in between), and a bunch of jet lag, we finally made it to the land of the Dominican Republic. After touchdown and exiting the plane, we were greeted warmly and enthusiastically by a group of natives who were singing upbeat songs in Spanish. It was a pleasant surprise to start the adventure we were about to embark on.

After we got through customs and immigration our friendly tour guide Cesar met us. He escorted us to the bus, and introduced us to the driver named Juan Martín. After our bags were loaded, and we had settled into our seats, we took a twenty-minute drive to the town of Puerto Plata. What caught our attention was how the highways were opposed to the United States.  There were citizens riding helmetless on motorcycles and the speed limit was not established. To our benefit Juan Martín is a seasoned driver and escorted us through traffic in a safe manner. Contrary to popular belief, there were a vast variety of automobiles. We saw standard, daily-driver cars such as Hondas, Suzukis, etc. To our surprise, we saw several Cadillacs, Porsches, Audis, and many other higher end cars.

We later arrived at the San Philippe Fort, where we took a short but information-filled tour. The fort was constructed deep so increase its protection. This made it very strategic. The fort was kept in pretty good condition considering it was built in 1577. Inside the fort various weapons, were showcased in glass boxes, which we examined while listening to some history that went along with the artifact. The Fort was the first destination on our journey and it was the first bonding opportunity. We all took a short scenic walk along the cliffs by the ocean, taking in the first breathtaking view together.

In the late afternoon we made our way to “The Blue Moon Resort”, the place that we will be staying at for the next seven days. The resort is not like an ordinary hotel; the rooms have very unique differences compared to the stereotypical resort. Each room is outfitted with six beds divided into three different rooms. The catch is that very little electricity is used in the rooms and there are mosquito nets hanging from the ceiling. The family environment was extremely welcoming, and everyone is looking forward to spending the rest of our trip here.

Tara & Christian