Batey Las Jaguas, Day 1

We woke to our third day of sunshine and warm breezes, and a number of the students took in the early morning mist-shrouded views of distant trees and, further away, the line of hills that rises to the north. To us happily munching our breakfasts of cereal, sausage, an amazing Dominican bread called yaniqueque (it is like mini fried dough; Wikipedia says it is the Dominican version of Johnnycake), watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, and the regular assortment of milk, juices, and coffee, it was another day in paradise. A half hour bus ride away, the world looked less fantastic.

Today we shifted to a different batey community, Batey Las Jaguas. We again broke into two groups and set to work mixing enormous quantities of concrete. The task was to provide cement floors to two families who lived in homes constructed of spare boards for walls, corrugated tin for roofs, and the bare earth below their feet. One floor was for the matriarch of the community, and it consisted of two rooms, one about 8’ x 15’ and the other maybe 7’ x 9’. The second floor was being poured for a 8’ x 10’ room that was separated from the rest of the home by rickety walls and a bed sheet. Our local friends from the previous two days’ work moved with us to this new batey to do the jobs that required the most skill while also guiding us through our various tasks. The work was difficult, the heat rose steadily toward the early afternoon, and we left for lunch feeling physically exhausted.

The second shift--more concrete, more floor to cover to finish the two projects--involved the same taxing labor, but the constant presence of smiling young kids brought an entirely different feel to the worksite. Samantha very quickly got a few boys and girls to fall in love with her, and Zakkai happy loaned his baseball cap and sunglasses to a boy we named “Señor Tranquilo,” which roughly translates to “Mr. Cool.” Later Liam and Jayden were hoisting kids on their shoulders and offering “horse rides” to whoever asked. Meanwhile, others were playing tag and goofing around with these children of the bateyes. And still, despite the lure of dropping everything and just playing with kids, both jobs got done ahead of schedule.

Our afternoon finished with the matriarch and other community leaders thanking us for our work with prayers, words of gratitude, juice, sweetened coffee, and cookies. We left just as the heavens opened up, bringing the southern part of the island much needed rain. We drove back to ASCALA through the deluge, eager for showers, dinner, and more games of UNO. As a special bonus, Daniel Reyes, who knew several of our students from his days working at Brimmer and May, joined us for dinner and shared his gratitude to us coming down to his country to provide support for the people of the Dominican Republic, especially those who are stuck in political, economic, and social limbo in the bateyes.

And now a chance to hear from the boys on the trip. Each quote below comes from their journals:

“We drove past a field where sugar cane extended as far as the clouds. Half of this enormous field seemed to be plowed and…I looked around the area to see if I could see any of the plows. I waited and waited until I realized that none were coming. That’s when a rustling noise inched closer to us. Out popped a head [of a cane cutter] and then it hit me: these fields were plowed by people. I thought about it all day, during dinner, while I was showering, even when I was on my phone. I am now going to bed with a heavy heart and hope that what I’m doing impacts this impoverished community for the better.” —Jarrel

“We watched a documentary about a priest who worked under life-threatening conditions [to help the laborers in the sugar industry.] There were guns and riots around him. He was a very inspiring man, and he inspired me to really try and help these people. I am not sure how I can help besides what we are doing here, but I will explore options.” —Sergei

“I saw Kelvin [who I worked with yesterday and who was leading my crew today], and he was very happy to see me and gave me a high five. That felt really good to make a connection like that with him. [Later] I practiced my Spanish with Kelvin by asking him questions about the work.” —Liam

“The evening activity was very eye-opening. It’s really hard to comprehend the difference in realities between [being born in] the U.S. and the D.R.” —Amir

“The sun was roasting us like a barbecue. I shoveled dirt and pushed wheelbarrows as well as tied metal rods together to construct a house….The wheelbarrow work took a lot of hard work and concentration. It felt good to use my body to create something….It felt refreshing and rewarding to work for a bigger cause and give to the community.” —Leo

“We mixed cement so we can make floors for the people. One house already had a cement floor but needed a few more. The other house needed the floor entirely covered. At the end we drank coffee and juice with the owners of the houses. They were so happy that it made me happy too.” —Abdulaziz

“After more mixing of cement, we finished at around 4:15 and talked to the community while drinking coffee and juice. We also played with the kids a little, which was fun. I let one of the kids ride on my shoulders and asked them questions….Honestly, interacting with the community and kids was something that I was looking forward to doing on this trip, and I’m glad that we were able to today.” —Jayden

“I played with [the kids,] taking turns giving piggy back rides….One then asked me to get her tamarind from the tree, which I did, and soon I was jumping all over and getting all of them some tamarind. It was really difficult to leave and see their faces when I did….I did not want to go. But overall it was a wonderful experience that I feel has helped me grow and connect with the community so much more. I’m super glad I did it.” —Zakkai

“I wasn’t sure at first about being the only senior on a trip of mostly freshmen, but I’m making good connections with people I otherwise wouldn’t be able to, so I’m really glad I had this opportunity….I’m having a great time, and I’m really happy I came.” —Liam