Showing posts with label Mariposa Foundation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mariposa Foundation. Show all posts
Sunday, March 1, 2020
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
Some Photos from the Dominican Republic
Empower girls in the DR: Mariposa Foundation is hard at work. Here are some photos of their first two days:
"we have been helping Mariposa with their upcycling project. The Foundation transforms old sails into backpacks, purses and wristlets, which they sell to raise money for the girls."
"we have been helping Mariposa with their upcycling project. The Foundation transforms old sails into backpacks, purses and wristlets, which they sell to raise money for the girls."
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Saturday, March 12, 2016
Mariposa: Day 6
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| At Play in Bonita, with our simply amazing guide, Sarah! |
March 12th, 2016 is our group's last whole day in the Dominican Republic. Although most projects are already over back at New Hampton School, the Mariposa Foundation project has had another fulfilling day. In the morning, we had a sweet sleep-in until a 9 o'clock breakfast at the hotel with French toast, omelets, fresh pineapple and papayas. Then we headed to the Playa Grande beach, which is one of the most famous beaches on the north coast, with our lively DR music in the Guagua Taxi. The rain and wind did not stop us from going into the intense waves and having fun. The sun soon came out and we had another wonderful fried chicken, bean and rice meal at the beach. During the sunbathing time, some of our girls got corn rows from a local woman who uses her amazing braiding skills to earn her living. We also tried the Dominican handmade "cookies" with sweet coconut and milk/ginger/ peanut and chocolate. There was a middle age local man holding a big box of handmade jewelry, like bracelets with the DR flag, passionately selling his products. At first, we were bartering with him, but after our tour guide Sarah told him about the project we were doing, he cut down half of the price for all products and said thank you for doing this for my country. We again were impressed by the welcoming and friendly attitude in this culture.
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| Lunch of steamed parrot fish and fried chicken on the beach |
After heading back to the hotel and having a shower break, we had another amazing dinner at the home of the Suriel Family. Margo and Freddy prepared chambre, a stew with rice, beans, potatoes, and squash. Grecia was very kind to make us fresh, hot peanut candy which was gobbled up in a few minutes.
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| Mr. Tyson serving the chambre |
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| Grecia's hot peanut candy for dessert |
We wrote a thank-you letter to our host family in Spanish but it was still very hard for us to say goodbye. We can't believe that the one week project is almost over, and we especially treasured our last day in DR before heading back home. But at the same time, we cannot wait to share what we have seen and learned in DR with our friends, families, classmates and teachers when we get back.
- Amy N. '16
Friday, March 11, 2016
Mariposa Day 5
The fifth day of the Mariposa Foundation Project Week finally
arrived, and took us all by storm. The day started with a typical 45
minute Dominican time guagua ride (so around 1 hour) from San Juan to
Cabarete. Cabarete is the popular neighboring city that attracts many
tourists week by week. At a breakfast coffee shop, partnered with the
Mariposa Foundation, we all devoured delicious waffles topped with
chopped bananas and whipped cream with a side of Dominican coffee.
After filling our stomachs, we finally had the privilege of visiting the Mariposa Foundation, which took us all by surprise. We knew what to expect, however the experience we gained could never be predetermined. We took a tour of the center, amazed at how different it was to our preconceptions. The center was established on a vast amount of land consisting of a basketball court, office, swimming pool, garden, sand, kitchen, and classrooms. What stood out was the amount of butterflies (mariposa in Spanish) that were on every corner of the Mariposa Foundation buildings to remind everyone of their motto and goal: "You are the worlds most powerful force for change". We learned more about the history of Mariposa and how it began from the 4 Maribal sisters all the way to the evil powerful dictator at the time, Rafael Trujillo.
After the tour, we visited both a public and private school in Cabarete to compare them to the public school we taught at in the campo the days prior. The public school was fairly similar except there weren't as many children and they were more curious as to who we were and what we were doing. At the private school we didn't come in contact with the students, but saw the building. It was a nice building that seemed similar to American public schools. Then we took a walking tour around Cabarete to see the differences in houses, roads, and the customs from the country to the city. It was a very poor neighborhood with colorful houses, very close together, that we didn't see in the country.
When we returned to Mariposa, we saw the girls and had the opportunity to visit 3 of their classes and observe and engage in a few activities such as literature/health, sports, English, and cooking. It was very apparent how much the girls have already been empowered to control their own futures with the help of the center and all the volunteers. In classes the girls were aware of the problems that Dominican women deal with on a daily basis, and they were able to vocalize some solutions and reasons as to why they didn't want to get pregnant at a young age and why they wanted to continue having an education, and more.
After spending time at Mariposa, we went to Kite Beach where we had a wonderful Dominican shrimp dinner. What stood out was how tourists filled the beach, restaurants, and Cabarete in general compared to where we've been. It was nice to relax, lay out in the sun, and do a little bargaining for a few small gifts on the ocean side. The dinner was amazing, as predicted, and the shrimp were left, well, finished! The night ended with saying goodbye to Patricia, founder and exective director of the Mariposa Foundation, with the guagua ride back to the hotel, to close the day with our reflection. We blew out and re-lit our candles with our darkest moments and the hope we saw from our experiences on this trip. The day over all was breathtaking, and could not be summed up by words or photos, but an experience that changed us all forever.
- Jennifer O. '17
After filling our stomachs, we finally had the privilege of visiting the Mariposa Foundation, which took us all by surprise. We knew what to expect, however the experience we gained could never be predetermined. We took a tour of the center, amazed at how different it was to our preconceptions. The center was established on a vast amount of land consisting of a basketball court, office, swimming pool, garden, sand, kitchen, and classrooms. What stood out was the amount of butterflies (mariposa in Spanish) that were on every corner of the Mariposa Foundation buildings to remind everyone of their motto and goal: "You are the worlds most powerful force for change". We learned more about the history of Mariposa and how it began from the 4 Maribal sisters all the way to the evil powerful dictator at the time, Rafael Trujillo.
After the tour, we visited both a public and private school in Cabarete to compare them to the public school we taught at in the campo the days prior. The public school was fairly similar except there weren't as many children and they were more curious as to who we were and what we were doing. At the private school we didn't come in contact with the students, but saw the building. It was a nice building that seemed similar to American public schools. Then we took a walking tour around Cabarete to see the differences in houses, roads, and the customs from the country to the city. It was a very poor neighborhood with colorful houses, very close together, that we didn't see in the country.
When we returned to Mariposa, we saw the girls and had the opportunity to visit 3 of their classes and observe and engage in a few activities such as literature/health, sports, English, and cooking. It was very apparent how much the girls have already been empowered to control their own futures with the help of the center and all the volunteers. In classes the girls were aware of the problems that Dominican women deal with on a daily basis, and they were able to vocalize some solutions and reasons as to why they didn't want to get pregnant at a young age and why they wanted to continue having an education, and more.
After spending time at Mariposa, we went to Kite Beach where we had a wonderful Dominican shrimp dinner. What stood out was how tourists filled the beach, restaurants, and Cabarete in general compared to where we've been. It was nice to relax, lay out in the sun, and do a little bargaining for a few small gifts on the ocean side. The dinner was amazing, as predicted, and the shrimp were left, well, finished! The night ended with saying goodbye to Patricia, founder and exective director of the Mariposa Foundation, with the guagua ride back to the hotel, to close the day with our reflection. We blew out and re-lit our candles with our darkest moments and the hope we saw from our experiences on this trip. The day over all was breathtaking, and could not be summed up by words or photos, but an experience that changed us all forever.
- Jennifer O. '17
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| Accepting the challenge of maneuvering around life's challenges |
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| Sometimes the challenges become more difficult.. |
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| Meaningful reflection about avoiding unprotected sex, alcohol, pregnancy... |
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| We had lunch with the group from Lawrence Academy |
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Mariposa: Day 4
On day four of our trip to the Dominican Republic, our initial plan was to continue working on the road and only visit with the students for 2-3 hours. With permission from the local school in the poorer countryside, they were able to completely change their schedule to accommodate our desire to spend more time with the kids. After we had breakfast, we walked 3/4 of a mile to the nearest public
school we visited on day 3. Not only do these kids have to walk long
distances to school, most families not being educated themselves do not
understand the importance of sending their children to school. It is
common for children to skip classes or chose to stay home whenever they please. This is an extremely hard habit to break and is very common in the DR countryside.
As a team, we divided into three groups for the day. Each group created a completely unique set of lessons plans to allow the children to warm up to us while learning English at the same time. Each lesson was also directly connected to a game. Animals were introduced in English by looking at photos and drawing them, the parts of the body were taught by using a diagram as a visual example and playing bingo, and numbers 1-10 were taught by repetition and the game four corners. With each activity, the kids were actively engaged and eager to learn. Going into the classrooms for the first time, each member of our group seemed to be more nervous than the children. It was a relief to see that when any of the small groups entered the classroom, we were happy to see their faces light up with excitement. Although not one of us is fluent in Spanish, using our knowledge and body language we were able to explain the activities for a round of 7 classes ranging from grades 3-8, and for 5 hours!
In a discussion at the end of the day, we were all surprised that even with a language barrier, each of us was able to form a bond with the students. Immediately after it was time to leave, all the kids would run up and cover our entire bodies with their arms wrapped against our waists. I found myself trapped and unable to move because I was so surrounded by children! It was heart warming to feel so highly appreciated and loved by the students.
It is unknown the impact we could have had on any one of the children in the school today, but we left feeling accomplished and with a better understanding of the world. We are very fortunate to be members of the New Hampton School community. Chloe'17
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| Teaching numbers |
As a team, we divided into three groups for the day. Each group created a completely unique set of lessons plans to allow the children to warm up to us while learning English at the same time. Each lesson was also directly connected to a game. Animals were introduced in English by looking at photos and drawing them, the parts of the body were taught by using a diagram as a visual example and playing bingo, and numbers 1-10 were taught by repetition and the game four corners. With each activity, the kids were actively engaged and eager to learn. Going into the classrooms for the first time, each member of our group seemed to be more nervous than the children. It was a relief to see that when any of the small groups entered the classroom, we were happy to see their faces light up with excitement. Although not one of us is fluent in Spanish, using our knowledge and body language we were able to explain the activities for a round of 7 classes ranging from grades 3-8, and for 5 hours!
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| recess fun! |
In a discussion at the end of the day, we were all surprised that even with a language barrier, each of us was able to form a bond with the students. Immediately after it was time to leave, all the kids would run up and cover our entire bodies with their arms wrapped against our waists. I found myself trapped and unable to move because I was so surrounded by children! It was heart warming to feel so highly appreciated and loved by the students.
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| learning numbers through playing 'four corners" |
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| enthusiastic kids playing "four corners" |
It is unknown the impact we could have had on any one of the children in the school today, but we left feeling accomplished and with a better understanding of the world. We are very fortunate to be members of the New Hampton School community. Chloe'17
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| Bingo help |
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Mariposa: Day 3
Today we started off with a breakfast of eggs, sausage, fried cheese, and a traditional breakfast food called mangu. We then proceeded to fill holes in a road with rocks so that there would be a safe passage way to school. After this, we spent time with a Dominican family and were warmly welcomed into their home. Three of their young female family members were very social, and despite the language barrier we were able to form relationships with them. After another wonderful meal consisting of rice, beans and pasta, we traveled to the local school. We interacted with many of the younger children and played simple games in order to teach them English. One thing that I learned today was that not everyone has the benefit of receiving an education, and having too much homework is much less of a problem than having none! Gretchen '17
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| Duck, Duck, Goose! |
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| an "icebreaker" |
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| Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes |
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| a rhythm game |
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| a class group |
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| morning workout- moving rocks to fill the holes in the road |
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Mariposa: Day 2
Today we had a breakfast of ham and cheese croissants and chocolate croissants with fresh fruit. Then we took a guagua (bus) to a remote country village and had a tour of our host family's cocoa farm. After our tour and hike of the cocoa farm we had lunch, prepared by our host family, which consisted of chicken (we have no idea exactly how it was seasoned but it was really good), beans and rice, all cooked over a fire on a home made "stove top".
Throughout our time at the farm we learned the process of creating chocolate. We saw the farm, tasted fresh cocoa seeds, saw them dried in the sun, then roasted over the open fire, helped mash them in a wooden mortar and pestle, and then drank delicious hot chocolate our hosts made from our mashed cocoa, orange leaf, and cinnamon.
After our delicious lunch, we took the guagua back to the hotel in Río San Juan and had a tour of the town. Afterwards we had two hours of free time in which most of us swam in the ocean and enjoyed the beach. For dinner we walked downtown to an empanada restaurant and experienced conch, crab, mixed seafood, chicken, beef, and cheese & vegetable empanadas. After dinner we learned some of the history of Haiti and the Dominican Republic that informs current living conditions and politics. We made plans for our long day tomorrow.
Some facts that we learned tonight: 41% of girls in the DR are child brides; 14% or girls in the DR “marry" before age 15; 40% of girls in the DR are married with kids before age 18. Poor girls living in rural areas are most affected.
-Emily '16
Throughout our time at the farm we learned the process of creating chocolate. We saw the farm, tasted fresh cocoa seeds, saw them dried in the sun, then roasted over the open fire, helped mash them in a wooden mortar and pestle, and then drank delicious hot chocolate our hosts made from our mashed cocoa, orange leaf, and cinnamon.
After our delicious lunch, we took the guagua back to the hotel in Río San Juan and had a tour of the town. Afterwards we had two hours of free time in which most of us swam in the ocean and enjoyed the beach. For dinner we walked downtown to an empanada restaurant and experienced conch, crab, mixed seafood, chicken, beef, and cheese & vegetable empanadas. After dinner we learned some of the history of Haiti and the Dominican Republic that informs current living conditions and politics. We made plans for our long day tomorrow.
Some facts that we learned tonight: 41% of girls in the DR are child brides; 14% or girls in the DR “marry" before age 15; 40% of girls in the DR are married with kids before age 18. Poor girls living in rural areas are most affected.
-Emily '16
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| Our host cooking fresh water crabs |
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| Making friends |
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| Walking into the hills to see the cocoa farm |
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| Where the magic happens |
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| Our group helped shell the roasted cocoa beans |
Monday, March 7, 2016
Mariposa - Day 1
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| Finally! On the north coast of the Dominican Republic |
Day 1 of the DR Project
Our group of girls plus Roger and Tys were very tired when we had to meet at 1:15 Monday morning. After a drive to Boston, a trip through security, and many coffees later, we boarded. Our short flight to Newark was followed by a longer flight into Puerto Plata, DR. Customs did not take as long as I had expected and was easy. It was very hot and humid when we got here. We found Sarah, our guide from the Mariposa Foundation, waiting at the airport and we all packed onto a small bus to take us to Río San Juan. Driving through the cities and towns was so interesting and a bit of a culture shock to some people. We witnessed extreme poverty and also wealthy tourist areas. When we arrived at our hotel in Río San Juan, the view of the ocean was breathtaking. After getting organized, we headed into town and ate at a delicious pizza place. We came right back to the hotel after dinner, since we were all exhausted after our very long day.
- Caroline '18
Friday, March 4, 2016
Mariposa Foundation
Three days from now we will have finished our first day of service with the Mariposa Foundation in Rio San Juan, Dominican Republic! We will be working with Mariposa to help end generational poverty in this rural area of the DR. Learning English can help teenagers support their families and improve the overall quality of their lives. The Mariposa Foundation works to educate, provide health care, resources, role models and inspiration for children in an impoverished area.
You can learn about the Mariposa Foundation on their web site. We are not going to be at the foundation in Cabarete; rather, we will be helping to establish a new satellite program in Rio San Juan. We are eager to help!
You can learn about the Mariposa Foundation on their web site. We are not going to be at the foundation in Cabarete; rather, we will be helping to establish a new satellite program in Rio San Juan. We are eager to help!
Here is a film that explains what the Mariposa Foundation is all about.
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