Our final night in the bateyes

It is hard to believe, but we have reached our last night in the bateyes and everyone is in the midst of packing up before we head out tomorrow for a day of fun and sightseeing. We will spend tomorrow morning at the beach before driving to our hotel to freshen up and then venture in to Santo Domingo for an afternoon of seeing the sights in the Colonial Zone and enjoying a final dinner out as a group.

Our last day in the bateyes was an emotional one for the group. It began at the volunteer center where we were able to witness a community meeting. This meeting was focused on the movement to improve the conditions in the bateyes as well as ways in which to secure proper documentation and identification for children of migrant workers (many of whom do not qualify for Dominican birth certificates according to the law). We then returned to Bateye Montecoca to reconnect with Lucy and Ramon and to see the final product of our cement work. These interactions were powerful for the students and provided for moving final moments in this bateye (for greater detail, read the post written by Connor and Kate, our RP guides, below). 

We then drove further into the cane fields to tour Bateye Punta Fuera. It is important to note that bateyes are scattered throughout the cane fields and those that are closest to the main roads are often “nicer” than those set further in to the fields. Bateye Punta Fuera was difficult, yet so important to see and it is hard to really put into words all that we saw and experienced there. We met one family comprised of a mother, father, and six children (ranging in age from 15-25) all of whom work in the cane fields. As a family, they barely make 300 pesos a day (approximately $8). Each family member works for 8 hours a day and will work anywhere from 6-7 days per week. The father showed us a recent receipt he had for wages and he was paid 86 pesos ($2.50) for three days of work. This is just one of many difficult life stories we encountered today and is a representation of the atrocities that occur in this region on a daily basis. To see the living conditions, to hear the stories, and to bear witness to the abuses of these sugar cane companies creates an incredible, and in some ways, overwhelming emotional response. It was amazing to see the poise, composure, and compassion of our students throughout today and to hear their reflections this evening during dinner.

After lunch, we ventured to Bateye Margarita for a quick tour of the community. There, we met Carlos’ family, including his two adorable children. On the way back, the group had a chance to try freshly cut sugar cane and when we returned to the center, enjoyed meeting with a local social worker named Rosa who is currently in law school. A passionate activist for the rights of migrant workers in the bateyes, she was an inspiration to everyone. 

Community meeting at the volunteer center. Idalina, the nun who runs the volunteer center is a determined advocate for the rights of migrant workers. She is the woman speaking to the group in this picture.

Group shot with Ramon on his new cement floor!

Ms. Barlow and Ms. Hedgspeth with Ramon

Carlos and his son, Carlitos

Students walking through Bateye Margarita

Haiyun, Kendall, Madeline, and Lynn enjoying sugar cane

Emily taking a big bite out of the cane

Anna fully enjoying her sugar cane

Final meeting with Rosa

I'd like to now turn things over to two of our fantastic Rustic Pathways guides. Kate and Connor have been amazing throughout this entire experience and have helped to make this trip meaningful for us all. Kate is extremely patient and caring, serving as a great translator for the group and educating all of us on life in the bateyes. Connor is the master of all games and insightful questions, helping to keep us all entertained and engaged, while at the same time, ensuring that we have all undertaken important moments of reflection. They both agreed to share their thoughts and they are included below.

Belief is a powerful tool. It can make you scared of ghosts, look

forward to a visit from the Tooth Fairy, or leave a plate of cookies

for Santa Claus with anticipation of Christmas morning. Belief is what

gives you confidence in yourself and your abilities to push forward

and grow as an individual. Belief can also give you the conviction to

find joy, meaning, and peace in the life that you're living. And today

a man named Ramon reminded me to believe in the impact of a moment and

the power of human hearts connecting, if only for a moment.

Ramon is an 81-year old man from Haiti. His wife passed away, he

doesn't have any children, and he lives in a community in the

Dominican Republic named Monte Coca. Even at his age, Ramon still goes

into the sugar cane fields to do the backbreaking work of harvesting.

As he will tell you, or as much as I can gather through my abysmal

Spanish but expert understanding of international pantomime, "no work,

no eat". He does not have family to help him in his old age, there is

no support from the government or the sugar cane companies after

decades of employment, and his community is barely floating above

water to support themselves and their families. Like many others that

live in the Bateyes, he lives without many options or opportunity for

things to improve his life.

Two days ago I met Ramon as he welcomed our group to his house. While

we don't speak the same language, there is no way to miscommunicate

his giant smile and shining eyes. He showed us to his home; A

framework of long sticks from nearby trees, whatever scraps of metal

he could find to piece together four walls, a completely missing roof,

and a floor of jagged rocks and uneven ground. The group pulled

together wonderfully that morning and after a couple of hours, eight

bags of cement, and a heap load of sand, we had created a beautiful

floor for Ramon's home free from Earthly blemishes and giving him a

sense of pride for the place that he lives.

This afternoon we revisited Ramon's home to check out the

solidified, completed project and were met with that same giant smile

and those same shining eyes. Everyone walked into his home atop the

newly completed floor and we chatted with Ramon for one final visit

before leaving Monte Coca. He thanked myself, my coworkers, and the

students profusely for our work in completing the project. This was

more than just cement and sand for Ramon, he described it as

life-changing to himself and a dream that he never thought would be

realized.

I do not consider myself old at 27, but I do consider myself wiser

than days of yesteryear. If there is one thing that I've learned in my

personal journey it's that the best way to find happiness in life is

to ask others that exude happiness for their secret. Ramon has faced

many obstacles and challenges in his life, but the spark of happiness

can touch anyone and it's never more visible than in a man like Ramon.

So I asked him, "What makes you smile? What makes you sing? Dance?

Laugh? Where do you find happiness"? My question was translated for

Ramon. Pause. After a moment of comprehending the question, Ramon

begins to sing a song in Creole. He makes it through the first line of

a song and then gets hit with emotion. Pause. He begins to sing again,

but this time he can't even make it through the second line before

those shining eyes begin to well up with tears. I then learn that

Ramon's tears are equally as infectious as his smiles.

He apologizes to us. He tells us that he always felt that nobody

cared about him and he could never imagine so many people would be

willing to help him. He can't sing the song because he just can't

believe that these people are standing in front of him, on a brand new

floor for his home. He then describes to us that while he may not

remember all of our names and over the years he may forget some of our

faces, he will never forget this group of people that came to help

him. He prayed for something to go right in his life and he knew that

as we stood in his house that we were the answer to his request. He

has gone 81 years without children, but today he said, we were all his

children.

 It was then that I asked Ramon another incredibly important

question, if I could have a hug.

I embraced Ramon, this sweet elderly man who has lived such a

different life than my own. It was in that moment that I realized

Ramon had given me something to believe in- we all have the power to

change someone for the better and there is always something you can

give. Sometimes we give our children a dollar for a lost tooth,

sometimes we give a donation to our favorite charity, sometimes we

give someone in need the floor they never thought would come,

sometimes we give someone a smile, or a hug, and sometimes we just

give each other love and compassion. Today a man named Ramon taught me

to believe.

Belief is a powerful tool. And it's amazing to believe that we can

all make a difference. 

- Connor, Rustic Pathways guide

Over two days our students contributed to cementing floors of three houses. This work alone is amazing and gives the families living in these houses a sense of dignity and pride, but the way today developed was the highlight of my entire week. Today was all about connecting and learning, rather than strictly community service work, which has been the primary focus of the past several days. One of my favorite things about the work I do is the ability to connect with people, and my goal is for students to be able to connect with the people in the bateyes as I’ve had the privilege of doing. 

We returned to Montecoca this morning to visit the families whose houses we worked on. Each family we spoke with was so pleased with the results of the project and seemed genuinely thrilled to see the students again. We visited Ramon’s home last, and our group’s interaction with him was one of the most impactful experiences of the entire trip. Ramon was so happy to have a cement floor, but I think he was even happier to have people around who cared for him. Ramon lives alone and has no family in the Dominican Republic. He said he’s never had so many people in his house before, and that we like a new family for him. Over the course of what was probably close to an hour that we spent talking with Ramon, at least four of us, including Ramon and myself, started crying. Being able to feel so close to someone each of us has only known for a span of a few days is something I’ve yet to understand. Days like today are so valuable to me because these are the experiences and feelings that stay with us, and keep us all connected. 

Today I was so impressed by this group of students’ compassion, respect for, and desire to help the people of the bateyes we visited. I really can’t say enough about these kids, and their passion and dedication is incredibly inspiring.

- Kate, Rustic Pathways guide

Buenas noches for the last time from ASCALA. We'll post a quick entry tomorrow night and look forward to seeing many of you in Cleveland on Monday.