When asked to think about The Dominican, most people think of a tropical climate and a vacation spot full of resorts. They travel to the country and although they have been there, they do not truly get to interact with its culture. This summer, I get the rare opportunity to live in a host family and understand life as a local, 130 km away from the capital Santa Domingo, in a town called Cabrera. Although the region is still undeniably beautiful, my trip there will not be a trip in the park.
The People
As mentioned in my previous blog post, the people of the Dominican Republic come from a varied background. 73% of its citizens are of mixed background while its next highest population being white, accounting for about 16% of the population. What unites the country most, however, is probably its shared religion: 95% of its people are of Roman Catholic descent. Interestingly enough, though, Cabrera does not share in this faith tradition—its 39, 000 population shares in a mainstream religion of the Christian Evangelic Church.
Economy
The Dominican has mostly been known as an exporter of coffee, sugar and tobacco. However, there has been a shift in recent years and now the service sector and tourism now account for 65% of its GDP. However, despite its attraction to tourists, the nation is not as glamorous as it looks. Over 40% of the population lives below the absolute poverty line and this makes for a huge gap between the rich and the poor. In fact, the top 10% of the population enjoys over 40% of the GDP, whereas the poorest half of the population share less 1/5 of the nation’s GDP.
Although Cabrera is located on the coast and is home to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, La Playa Grande, it is not dependent on tourism as a main source of income. In fact, the economy in Cabrera is driven by cattle, its milk and meat, mixed with a bit of agriculture.
Climate
While thinking about the Dominican and when I am going to be there (May-August), I was afraid of its climate. Although I whine and complain about the cold weather now, I think it is harder for me to be active in the summer months. At least when I’m cold, I can wear more clothes and react accordingly. In the scorching hot heat, however, sometimes you are paralyzed and just cannot continue to work. It was to my delight, then, to find out that the Dominican’s temperature does not vary that much throughout the year! It’s temperature during the hottest season, May – October, ranges between 22-30 degrees Celsius. The main difference is that it is more humid during these months. Furthermore, the first month when I will be there, the Dominican sees the most rainfall. Fortunately, it is expected to be in short bursts followed by sunshine.
Despite the weather being ideal during the summer season, it is actually the low season for tourism. Most tourists often visit the Dominican to seek refuge from the cold North American winters.
------------
Now what am I doing in the Dominican? Throughout my blog, I have mentioned briefly the name of the project with which I will be work, The Esperanza Project. A literal translation of its name would mean The Project of Hope. The Esperanza Project is a non-profit organization, run and founded by a Canadian/British couple, that was “born out of a perceived need to provide a much needed supplementary education and extra-curricular program, giving individual students an opportunity to explore, create, and inspire, whilst empowering them to grow academically and socially, in a safe, supportive, hands-on learning environment” (Esperanza Project, n.d.).
I will be running an individual sports section at the camp with another student from the University of Victoria! I’m not 100% sure what we’ll be doing yet but we have the months ahead to plan and prepare a program that can be reused: obstacle courses, relays, team building exercises and the like. If you have any ideas, send me a message and I’ll be happy to bring a piece of you to the Dominican with me!
There is no doubt that the experience will be hard and challenging. Living in the Dominican Republic will not be a walk on the beach. I will live the life of a local, away from tourist infrastructure: very few comforts of my normal life will be present. The Spanish language, although I have studied it, will be a barrier to both my host family and myself. Yet despite all these challenges, I am hopeful. I am hopeful that I can learn and become an advocate for what happens in the Dominican. I am hopeful that I will become a trusted member of the local community and I am hopeful that my presence will be well received.
I invite you to take a look into the town I will be in—I hope this blog gives you an understanding of my excitement and an appreciation that I will not be going as a tourist! Here is a link to a video that some women took passing through Cabrera in 2010:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZzC_L2HBs8&feature=player_embedded#at=515
Works Used
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/dr.html
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/dominican-republic
http://www.esperanzaproject.ca/index.php/about/
No comments:
Post a Comment