Finding A Diamond in the Rough

When you typically vacation in another country they highlight all the beauty and hide the reality of the places. The same goes for Dominican Republic. However, today the Public Health CIEE group was able to explore the wonders of Dominican's and see a vulnerable population and grow to understand their story by being exposed to the locals' living and working environment. As they sat in an escuela, funded by donations and the local community members that grew up in the same conditions. Our students watched a brief video explaining that children from the area was forced to work in the local landfill to be able to pay for their basic needs. They would gather plastic or anything of value to sell to be able to meet their needs. 

Giving a tour through the landfill was interesting and brought up a lot of emotions from the students. They seemed to feel compassionate, grateful, and empathetic towards the local people experiencing such conditions and hardships. Before we went on the hike up the mountain to contribute to the garden that is being established, by planting dragonfruit trees. Three students saw children of the local community and gave them their own snacks that was just given to them. It was a beautiful observation to see children from all over America desire to contribute to a community they know lacks and want to automatically give back to those around the area before they saw the severity of the conditions with their own two eyes. 

Although there is hardship, there is also beauty at the top of the mountain. With the establishing of a community garden, with an amazing view of the island. Seeing local livestock, the people still being nice in spite of circumstances, children with hope in their eyes, and for our students a new formed understanding and humility. A new passion for the occupational field they would like to enter into. A new understanding on how poverty can impact the well being of humans living in such conditions and how alleviating the problem can better prevent medical conditions amongst groups of people and developing an understanding that it is all connected and that is what public health is about; connecting the conditions of an environment and how it can impact the medical, mental, and overall well being of individuals.