In January, I had the opportunity to join, along with two other exchange students, the Rotary mission HHART in the Dominican Republic. This mission provides medical and dental care in Haitian villages. Everything that HHART does is beautifully described on their website: HHART – Hispaniola Humanitarian Assistance and Relief Team.
The arrival in the Dominican Republic was joyful. A bus picked us up from the crowded airport, and we set off for the town of Sosúa, where we stayed for the entire week. Along the way, we were accompanied by warm weather, music, and plenty of motorbikes. I will remember the Dominican Republic as a place full of life. Unfortunately, not everyone is so fortunate. In the Dominican Republic, there are Haitian communities that face difficult living conditions due to the local political situation, and we came to help them.
How did it work? Each evening, we divided into teams: the medical team, dental team, construction team, and fun team, which was further split into the fluoride team and opto team. The following day, these teams would head out to nearby Haitian villages. I had the opportunity to take part in all teams except the medical one. In the first few days, I was part of the fun team, which always brought colouring books, jump ropes, and other toys for the local children. Although this team didn’t save lives, it was where I made the best memories. Even with the language barrier, the children wanted to teach us all their games, drew pictures for us, and most importantly, wanted to touch our hair :D. Rotary has been assisting in a village called Congrejo for several years, and this year the construction team is building a new school there. In Congrejo, I met a little girl named Yemile. Yemile always wanted to play with me, drew several pictures featuring our names, and when I was giving fluoride treatments to the children (we provided fluoride treatment to kids around age 6; yes, I even played the role of a dentist :) ), she helped me. On the last day in this village, she ran up to me with two small pieces of paper. Yemile had made us both paper phones so we could call each other when I returned to Canada. Yemile, like many other children, lives in poverty in a small one-room house with many relatives. She has limited access to water and electricity, but even so, she wanted to share something special with me. It was a unique experience, and I will never forget Yemile.
The dental team also had its importance. I had the chance to participate in the dental team, and at the dental clinic in Amigatos, I helped with disinfecting dental tools. I must say, I have never seen so many extracted teeth in my life. Later, I also experienced how things work in the field without a clinic, and I must give credit to our dental team. Working with limited resources in extreme heat requires real bravery.
I must also acknowledge all the Rotarians who were there with us. We are all united by the same goal – to help. I cannot forget our amazing translators either. We needed translators who spoke not only Spanish but also Creole, which is the language spoken in Haiti. The translators of Haitian descent helped us understand how people live in the Dominican Republic and what challenges their families face.
The full article can be found here: https://rye2240.org/z-kanady-do-dominikanske-republiky/
