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Today was the last day of camp and it was a very fast paced day. To start the day off we had some fun teaching the campers our line dances and then they showed us some Dominican dances - bachata and merengue. When we went back inside my group made sun catchers and airplanes, we also finished up our pictures frames. When the groups switched we went on a tour to see the farm animals, fish, and iguana farm. After lunch we went to the beach and the kids played for a while. Once we got back we said bye and then the Dominican teens and all of our group headed off to the indigenous eyes to cool off from the heat.
Hannah Biby, Shenandoah
Today we walked to the beach with the campers. Prior to that we danced, assembled airplanes and made sun catchers from recycled water bottles. I greatly enjoyed the tour and I learned a lot about how the DR uses common resources to become more environmentally friendly to their environment. Later that day we took one more trip to the indigenous eyes and swam for about thirty minutes.
Sydney Ford, Henrico Co.
Today was the last day of day camp! Today has had such positive energy. The kids came in ready to participate and be involved. Everyone was helping make crafts and excited to bring them home. I had the most fun doing the cultural dances. The kids especially loved being able to go to the beach. Today I learned a lot about what school is like in the DR. It is a really big deal to graduate but they don’t have prom or other dances through school. Of course it was fun to be able to go back to the resort and be with our group. Today was lots of fun but also a bittersweet goodbye to our campers!
Prior to my arrival at Punta Cana, I had my apprehensions about whether or not we could accomplish the mission of this trip in just two days. For many of the campers, this was a completely new experience in an environment with resources that they may not have been otherwise subjected to. This trip has been just as much of a learning experience for myself as well as the children that I was blessed to meet and provide for.
The second, and last, day of day camp was a bittersweet experience for everyone. The day started as it had yesterday, games and reintroductions to warm everyone up. What stuck out today was a new energy and excitement that was palpable throughout the center. That energy was extended as we shared in our cultures by teaching eachother familiar dances, sharing photos from home, and relating as youth despite our language and background differences.
All day campers had smiles on their faces as they listened actively and happily participated in the activities and educational tours organized for them.
A group consensus decided that the beach was the highlight of the day. The area of Punta Cana is a high tourist spot, most places being privatized or simply too expensive for locals to enjoy. To be able to give the day campers an experience to look back on is easily one of the most rewarding feelings I’ll take home with me. Overall I am so so blessed and grateful to be apart of a trip that gives back to a community that is given the short end of the stick in their own home.
The most important thing I learned is that preconceived notions and expectations only hold the weight they are given. As a delegate, I made it a point to walk into 4H camp ready to learn and be surprised by what I may learn and see from the campers that arrived. All in all, even though our camp is over for the summer, I am glad to leave knowing a difference was made in the lives of so many deserving individuals.
Journey Mason, Henrico Co.
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