It has been a while since Thanksgiving break, but I am still reminiscing from one of my most memorable Thanksgiving trips ever. During Thanksgiving break, I participated in an alternative break program with IU ABP to Las Canas, Dominican Republic. During our trip, we collaborated with a local NGO called 7 Elements and helped them in some of their project sites. Among the projects we worked on included the construction of bottled schools, reforestation projects and bee box building projects. What made this trip so memorable was how closely we interacted with the local communities.
A school in one of the communities
Learning about some of the world's problems in class is one thing, but seeing it with your own eyes and experiencing it first hand is a totally different story. We visited many different local communities with different backgrounds, located in different places, suffering different problems. After seeing their living conditions, interacting with the locals, understanding their side of the story, I now understand the true magnitude and severity of the problems these communities and many others around the world are facing. Although all of the communities we visited have different lifestyles, they all have one similarity, everyone seems to be very happy with what they have. They even give us the best hospitality we can ask for when we visited their communities. Everyday we were given the opportunity to enjoy a good home cooked Dominican meal made by the donia maxima(community chief) herself. How many people in this world can actually get that kind of treatment? Perhaps it's the fact that the more privileges we are are blessed with, the more likely we are to take them for granted and the less satisfied we get. After seeing some of the locals being so grateful with what they have, it made me step back and look my life as a whole, remembering to enjoy the little things in life.
A good home cooked lunch made by the donia maxima from one of the communities we visited
I always had an interest in exploring the world and understanding the global problems we face, but after taking BUS G-316 (Introduction to Sustainable Enterprise) and joining Net Impact, my interest not only sky rocketed but became focused on sustainability. This is why I joined this trip, to learn what I can do to make this world more sustainable place to live. It is true that these problems are so huge that what we did probably didn't count much, but I participated in this trip not just to help, but to also learn. Now with the experience and knowledge I gained from this trip, I plan to incorporate it with what I learned from my classes in college to create a solution that can help solve these problems.
Group photo at Dudu lake
The thing I valued the most out of this trip are the friendships we created. The 9 other participants I worked with are among the greatest minds I have ever met. We worked hard together during the day, and had good and fruitful discussions during the night. We laughed together, suffer together, and learned together. Even when I returned to Bloomington, I also met many students who were interested in my experiences, wanting to participate too. It's great to see how our generation as a whole is so eager to turn the world around for a brighter future.
Sunrise by the beach
Although this trip has ended, my efforts to create a sustainable future is just beginning. Many sustainability programs are being introduced at IU, various other alternative break programs and service trips are sprouting across campus. This trip was one of the best experience I ever had so far, and it certainly won't be the last.
Our accommodation during our trip.
The locals
Deforestation in progress
Group photo with the donia maxima from one of the villages