Adios, La Jagua

Today was our last day at the work site in La Jagua, and our last day at Rancho Baiguate and in Jarabacoa.  We started this day a bit differently, pausing at the school where we typically pick up the construction supplies.  There, we spoke a bit with Miguel, the community member who has been with us all week, about his life.  He then took us on a short walking tour of La Jagua, during which he introduced us to a young woman, Natalie.  Natalie is twenty-one and lives in a three-room house with her husband, whom she married at seventeen.  They have a young son and otro en camino (another one on the way).  Despite the modest accommodations, she welcomed us into her home, where she answered our questions and tolerated our photographs with remarkable cheer and hospitality.  As we walked back to the truck, we asked Miguel about the access to healthcare for members of the community.  He said that there is a clinic nearby, but the doctor is often not there.  For other medical needs, La Jaguans can catch a ride to the hospital in Jarabacoa, where Natalie is likely to deliver her baby.  Miguel said that not so long ago, women did not have access to medical care during or after their pregnancies, and as a result, the infant mortality rate in the area was about 50%.  He noted that many babies developed Polio, an interesting connection to last week's commencement speech from the CEO of Rotary International.

After the tour we returned to the aqueduct, where we installed, tested, and covered another 15 pipes.  Mrs. Freeman and I hiked up to the naciente, where water springs from the mountain, as if from nowhere.  A cement block structure causes the water to pool, and the pipeline begins in that pool.  Miguel told us that this water will be much better for the families in La Jagua than the water from the river, which has at times been contaminated with Hepatitis and has resulted in illness in the area.

We returned from our final day of work, having said goodbye to La Jagua, Miguel, and his faithful canine companion Bobby.  We spent the afternoon decompressing and the evening reflecting on our week here.  Many of the students have referred to their time here as eye-opening, and for many of us, the conversations in the future will be about where to go from here.  Our resident alumnus, Mark, '12 shares his thoughts about the week, as it comes to an end:

Let me first start by saying that this trip, above anything else, was an extended Reserve career for me, and this group has been so warm and fun to be around with.  This trip has taught all of us a lot of things.  For me the most enlightening part was seeing that even though the locals live such a poor life, they could still lock that smile on their faces, make an honest life, and have an open heart to visitors like us.  Back at Reserve a lot of people would get up in the morning wondering how the salad bar is going to be, how many quizzes they’ll have to deal with, or if it’s about time to buy a new tie to wear around, whereas people here have so many basic needs yet to be satisfied, but they always treated us with kindness and sincerity, from which I see great resilience and appreciation of life.

I assume that a good night’s sleep and a thorough shower at home, sweet home would be in the top three on THE list for a lot of us, and for me it’s definitely going to be followed by some family time and a mountain of ice cream. When I shake off the exhaustion, this experience is likely to serve as a constant reminder that as an individual, I had a chance to sacrifice and serve others and I took it proudly.  I set foot in another country and I saw and learned a different attitude for life. There’s only so much we can do; we are not guilty for living a better life -- no one is, it’s not a crime -- but when we can fix something with our own time and energy, when we can afford to fly five hours to somewhere and sweat and work for a week, we should.

Tomorrow morning we drive back to Santo Domingo, where we'll tour the city and learn about its colonial roots.  We'll round out the week with a souvenir shopping trip and a Dominican dinner, before heading home on Wednesday afternoon. 

Hasta luego.