More digging !?

Hi all -- Mrs. Davies here.  I spoke with Mrs. Freeman this afternoon, who sends the group's greetings from San Pedro de Macoris.  They haven't been able to access the internet while in the Bateyes, so she filled me in on what they've been up to so I could pass the information along.  You can expect to hear from them from Santo Domingo on Sunday.

The group has spent much of their time in San Pedro Macoris so far working in one of the barrios just a short walk from the community center.  When they arrived on Wednesday afternoon, they toured that area and met with some of the community leaders to learn a bit about what life is like for the Dominicans, Haitians, and Dominican-Haitians who live there.  On Thursday morning they returned to the barrio, where they helped break ground on a community garden.  So yes, they were doing more digging!  In the afternoon they toured one of the communities located within the sugar cane fields, known as Batey Margarita, and met some of the community members who live there.  They've now had the opportunity to meet with three different communities, and have an interesting perspective on life for many in the DR.

On Thursday evening the group was able to meet with a lawyer who works closely with the volunteer center where they're staying.  He helps residents of the bateyes get their documentation in order and assists the US Department of Labor with some of the lawsuits they've filed against the sugar cane companies.  The group spoke with him for about two hours and had the opportunity to ask lots of questions about how and why things are the way they are.  Mrs. Freeman said that this meeting was a real highlight for the group as they grapple with what they've seen and learned so far.

Today they were back in the community garden, and they'll move to a different barrio on Saturday, where they'll put on a day camp for 30-50 children.  Our fundraising efforts at WRA went toward the purchasing of supplies for tie dyeing -- an activity that volunteers often would like to do with the children but cannot, since the supplies are hard to come by.  Our group took down more tie dyeing supplies than they could possibly use, so hopefully other groups will be able to enjoy the activity later as well.

Sunday morning will see the group at the beach, after which they'll head into Santo Domingo to tour the colonial zone and do some souvenir shopping.  They expect to be able to access internet at their hotel there, so if they're able to post an update at the end of that very long day, they'll have lots to share!