Day 5: Immigration Day

Hello from Day 5’s leaders of the day, Prince and Skylar!

Today, we went to the Sosua community to experience their culture and ask them questions about how they live their lives. Overall, we learned from the community that there are a lot of people with little-to-no opportunities to have a comfortable lifestyle, even though they work hard to get there. The families we talked to today were mostly undocumented immigrants, originally from Haiti, and they expressed that they were unable to become citizens due to the government’s perspectives on Haitian immigrants. One of the women we spoke to said that she had the right documentation, but it expired, and in order to renew it, she has to pay the equivalent of $500 US dollars. We were able to connect with so many kids and families today, and we realized that even though we do not live in the same country, or speak the same language, we are still very similar. It’s not fair to treat people differently just because of their ethnicity.

It was very surprising to see the conditions that the families have to live in and most of the children are underfed and thirsty. While we were spending time with the kids, it was very common for the kids to ask us for our water because it was very hot and they were thirsty. Many of them do not have access to clean water in the community. The community was very welcoming to us, and this was another thing that surprised us. They welcomed us in with open arms and the kids tried to play with us and treat us as if we were one of own.

The most inspiring people we met today, by far, were the kids because even in the state that they live in, they always smile, have fun, and are really outgoing.

For me, Skylar, being leader of the day was really nice because it kept me involved with everything we were doing today instead of just going with the flow. Also, I felt that it helped me to become more comfortable with public speaking and leading, and gave me the opportunity to bond and connect with all members of the group. I also learned that I can feel connected to and feel empathy towards people that I don’t even understand due to the language barrier. For example, one girl named Felicia, who was 10 years old, clung to me and even called me her sister. I felt really connected to her and I felt a love for her I didn’t expect to feel.

For me, Prince, being leader of the day was a fun experience. I finally got to experience being a leader, which was a goal of mine for a long time. This experience showed me that even leaders aren’t perfect and make mistakes too. Overall this whole experience has improved my leadership skills. I learned that am a good leader and I have very good time management when I am leader. A lot times I don’t have confidence in myself and this experience showed that I could be a leader and it is perfectly OK to make mistakes.

After we visited the community, we went to the beach and got to enjoy a different side of the Dominican Republic and become immersed in all of the country’s beauty.

Tomorrow we will be heading back to Constanza and learning more about our Community Action Project. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog!

TUNE IN FOR THE NEXT EPISODE!