Absolute Leadership Development

What! Hard work, hot days and sweat could equal fun??… To the students here with us in the Dominican Republic it does. Throughout the trip, our students travel to one of the four work sites and work their butts off and… for some weird reason they like it. I guess you would too if you got to see what a life changing difference your hard work could make in a developing community.

Our first project, Arroyo Seco, is a school that Hero Holiday has worked on since 2006. Three years ago we stepped out of our trucks onto a field where local farmers kept their cows and pigs and now have built a two story school with an on site medical clinic (to be completed this August), a full fence, and play ground for it’s students. This July we are completing the inside and have already witnessed many paint wars and ceilings being put up. At the end of July this school will be fully painted and ready for classes to start!

The second project is, Cangrejo, we started this school build last summer. A few days before the trip started the cement roof was put on the second floor. We have to wait 15 days for it to cure so in the mean time the students have started digging the washrooms. Yesterday, they laid the last cement in the bathroom footings and the walls should go up any day now. We are also moving dirt to even out an area for parking.

The third project is another school, we are working to put a fence around a school called Dominican Advance. Kent, our on staff Kiwi, works the students like crazy and is hoping to get the fence up and around the school. He seams to think that we may have this fence completed by the end of the week. Go Team!

Out last project which is dear to each on the staff and participant’s hearts is the house we are building for Bernard. Bernard has been helping with Hero Holiday since our first trip to the Dominican Republic. He is known for his BIG smile, hilarious personality and generous heart. The student’s are digging through hard dirt to make a trench for the footings and foundation of his home. Bernard is a Haitian and has had to over come many racial barriers while living in Dominican. Despite all of this he keeps a positive attitude and gives back to his community in helping to build schools, providing opportunities for struggling artists to sell their art and he also supports his brother who runs an orphanage in Haiti.

There are two other activities (an orphanage visit and a half day of helping people working in a local dump) that the students participate in… stay tuned for more pictures and stories tomorrow.

I will say, so far our trip has been a success, communities are receiving the help they need and student’s lives are being changed.

~Nettie Brown