Rotary update...and update on my student
Trip Start
Sep 06, 2008
1
19
Trip End
Nov 25, 2008
San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Firstly, the club here is going there twice a month to spend the day in the garden and helping out on the grounds up-keep. The current project is to prepare an area where a group of Canadians will be coming to install an irrigation system for the garden in Jaunary. The area needs to be cleared and ready before they arrive, so this is something that the Consuelo Rotary is going to take on. The garden is massive, and there are only 3 workers and no volunteers at the moment, as it is hot and hard work!
The other projects that we are hoping to complete involve getting a tractor out there for a day or two...this is looking to be problematic, but I will see what comes of this at tonight's meeting. As well, they want to have someone measure and make proper uniforms (scrubs-style) for all of the "tias" - these are the women who work and live full-time with the children in the houses. The orphanage would really like for the Rotary to make something happen with this, and we did speak with the director of the vocational school in Consuelo. It is a possibility, but the club will have to come in January or February when the new sewing class starts and plead their case to the new students, to see if they will be willing to volunteer their time outside of class hours...so we are on hold with this at the moment.
The last thing is that the orphanage would like for every child to have their own small quilt, so that when they leave they will have something to take with them that is meaningful. We are hoping to get a few people from the orphanage to come in to Consuelo to get some training on how to make them, so that they can go back and get started on that without relying on the vocational school's students.
So, there are lots of things going on, and when the Dartmouth East club gets here, they will be ready to dive in to any and all of these projects. I think that they will end up spending most of the time in the garden, though, as that is where they need the most help!
I will update more on this as information becomes available! I know that both the Consuelo and Dartmouth East clubs are excited to be able to work together for this great cause!
STUDENT UPDATE: THE OPERATION WILL TAKE PLACE ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 1. PLEASE SEND YOUR GOOD THOUGHTS TO HIM ON THIS DAY!!
Comments
I stumbled upon your blog while looking for information about the D.R.... My 22 yr. old daughter left 2 weeks ago to volunteer in La Romano. She will be there a year, and we hope to go visit her in the spring.
Anyway, your blog was so interesting to read! I plan to share it with her, because even though you were in a different area, there are many similarities between what you did and the adventures ahead of my daughter!
I'm not sure this will reach you (since it's been a couple years since your trip) but if you get this and want to write her, let me know!
We'd love to hear what you've been up to since your last blog entry.... and will go back and finish reading the pages we skimmed at first reading. You are a great writer....as is Hilary....(who also has a blog on blogspot) Perhaps you'd like to follow her adventures!?)
Take care...and kudos to you for making a difference in the world : )