Dominica Community Service

Big Papa's and wrapping up projects

2009-07-21T13:47:00.007-04:00

During the week the group had a night out on the town in Portsmouth. After a hard day's work, we headed to a popular beach just outside of town where we bathed, waded around in the warm, calm waters, and had a go on the makeshift rope swings attached to the palm trees lining the water. After we'd worked up an appetite in the hot sun we headed to Big Papa's restaurant for a fantastic meal. Big Papa was kind enough to close the restaurant just for us and brought in his regular reggae deejays early so we could get some dancing in before the late night regulars took over the dance floor. Inevitably, the dancing moved its way outside the restaurant onto the beach.

On Friday we reached some important milestones. First, we finished the Summer Enrichment Program. To celebrate, we brought in juice and cookies for the kids and everyone received an official handmade Certificate of Completion. We also finished painting the inside of the primary school. Next year's school kids ought to enjoy the livelier classrooms, complete with multiplication tables, the alphabet, hopscotch squares, and murals of SpongeBob, Dora, and others.

Over the weekend we headed to the Carib territory in the west of the island. The caribs are an indigenous people who migrated to the island from South America by way of Trinidad. They are fairer skinned than the typical Dominican, with straight black hair. Our explorations of the Carib villages were hampered a bit by persistently rainy weather, but most of us picked up a memento from the trip. We stayed at a lodge run by a former chief of the territory where we had a nice dinner and breakfast.

Sunday was Sports Day for Putney! Again, the rainy weather tried to slow us down, but we could not be stopped from learning cricket, playing soccer, throwing the frisbee, and playing a little yoga ball soccer.

Now it's back to work for our group. The chicken coop is coming along nicely. The finishing touches on the mural have been slowed down by the rain, but our students have been resilient in their efforts to finish it. There's a lot to finish up this week... wish us luck!

Russell and Eliza

Rainy weather made for a slippery and muddy game of soccer (er, uh football)

The group had a night out at Big Papa's restaurant in Portsmouth. The day
started at the beach down the street, followed by a lovey meal, then
dancing to reggae music on the beach outside the restaurant.

The last day of the Summer Enrichment Program! Each student of the
program was given an official Putney Certificate of Completion.

Next year's pre-schoolers will be in for a surprise when they
discover a super spiffy sand box to play in!

Yoga ball soccer!!!

Dinner at Big Papa's: Chicken, fish, plantains, kale,
eggplant, salad, and fresh local juice.

Everyone's always all smiles at Glenda's place.

Peaks and Valleys

2009-07-16T11:24:00.007-04:00

Over the weekend the Putney Dominica group had quite an achievement. All 17 of us, along with our new friend (and favorite cook!) Glenda and an amazing guide, hiked to the boiling lake. It was an epic hike of 11 miles in 8 hours and we all made it!

Our journey began at 4:00am (not an easy feat in itself) and we reached the trailhead at 9:30am, making it back to our mountain lodge by 6:00pm. The hike was a series of ups and downs, peaks and valleys, climbing and sliding, hot sun and pouring rain. It is fair to say that these highs and lows of our hike were not only present in the landscape -- the group's morale followed suit. One moment we heard a group of students trekking up a steep incline listing all the places they would rather be. . . a few ups and downs later, the same trio would be singing and laughing. In fact, a few said they'd love to do it all over again!!

The boiling lake itself was less spectacular than was anticipated but still interesting to see. The true 'view' worth hiking for was the overwhelming sense of confidence and pride in each student's face.

For the record. . . these girls did say that they want to hike again!

Face painting with boiling lake mud!!

On Sunday, after a delicious sleep (in beds!) and an even more delicious breakfast, we dragged our tired muscles to Scott's Head for a swim. From this spot you can swim in both the Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean. We also stopped by a spot called Champagne for some snorkeling and sunbathing. We finished this fantastic weekend with exactly what the students had been begging for...Kentucky Fried Chicken.

This week has already been very productive. We're making good progress on the mural and the summer enrichment program at the school is now running like a well oiled machine. Tonight the group is heading to Portsmouth for a nice dinner on the beach and some reggae music to celebrate our work thus far.

Here are a few more pictures from this week!

A few of the students decided to learn some traditional Dominican dances

Taking a dip at Chaudiere Pool.

Here's a shot of a new project we started. The preschool was in
need of a new sandbox so our group used their new cementing skills to do the job.

An update in photos

2009-07-11T08:38:00.008-04:00

These ladies would be proud to tell you they carried 43 buckets of dirt EACH up and down a steep hill in addition to mixing and smoothing cement on the road.

Two Putney students help a group of 3rd graders understand the finer details of Math Bingo.

Awwww. Chelsea is Emma Charles' daughter and a Putney favorite.

By popular demand, the "prom" photo. The group decided to dress up for a Saturday night out on the town.

It's always hard work at the mural wall, but not so hard that they can't smile for a photo.

Summer enrichment camp, cement, and road paving, oh my!

2009-07-08T20:42:00.010-04:00

Hello all!

We're a week and a half in and still loving everything that Dominca has to offer. The group has adjusted wonderfully to its new home in Bense. We are now fully engaged in four projects and still making time for adventures around the island.

The summer enrichment program is a hit. We have over 20 local kids enrolled in the program and have enlisted a number of local teenagers to help out as well. The group is dedicated to designing a strong curriculum and is getting a little taste of what teaching is actually like. One idea the group is trying to pull together is a talent show for all the children that will include singing, dancing, story telling, and whatever other talents are discovered!

The mural is in the final stages of prep! After scraping off all the old paint, it was time for a layer of cement to paint on. A number of local folks came by to help with this task and now we're just about ready to start painting!

Today was our first day working on rebuilding the elderly woman's house in a neighboring village. The house was demolished with the exception of a concrete foundation. We added three layers of cement blocks to the foundation and are ready to get to work with some hammers and nails.

Tomorrow we will embark on the first day of road paving. Everyone is really excited to start this project. Emma is even planning on cooking a big meal for all the volunteers on site so we have enough energy to get the job done.

We stayed close to home our first weekend in Dominica so that we could take part in their annual Feast of July, which is a celebration of Saint Peter. Saint Peter was a fisherman and to celebrate the town gathered to cook and eat and bless the fishing boats. There was also dancing and time for the group to meet more people from the community. A few brave boys even asked some local girls to dance!

On Saturday we explored Cabrits National Park near Portsmouth, in the Northwest part of the island. This area is a relic of British imperialism. We were able to hike all through an area that was once a thriving British fort in the 1700. Since then nature has taken over the area and created a surreal landscape.

Below are a few photos of the group taking part in some of the activities and projects.

Until next time...

Russell & Eliza

We found some mangos on the way to the beach and enjoyed them in the river.

Our first day at the enrichment program.
Here's a shot of the group at the end of the hike up the trail through Cabrits.

Posing in the old commander's quarters at Cabrits.

Greetings from Bense!

2009-07-03T09:12:00.005-04:00

Hello from Dominica!

It's day five of the Putney Dominica Community Servce trip and we're having a blast! Many students have been overheard saying how qucikly the group has bonded, that it seems that we've all known each other for years. The group has adapted well to shared living quarters (the boys in the village's community center, the girls in a house on a hill), a shared bathroom, shared meals, working together on projects and chores, and entertaining each other with games. Friendshps have formed fast!

Our projects are off to a good start. We are working on a mural in the center of Bense that will hopefully serve as a reminder of the strength found in unity and community. But before we can get to the fun of painting it's been necessary to scrape off the old mural and wash the cement wall. It's slow, hard work in a hot and humid clmate,but great progress has been made because the kids are determined and a number of local people have lent a helping hand.

The group has also made preparations for a summer enrichment program at the local primary school. Starting Monday, the group, in partnership with members of local youth groups, will host a academic, talent development,and life skills program at the school for elementary aged kids in the village. We've had a blast interacting with the kids in the area (they taught us how to play cricket yesterday!) and are looking forward to spending more time with them.

Overall, spirits are high and we're looking forward to getting to know all about our new home.

Until soon,
Russell and Eliza

Half of the group taking a moment to pose during a tough morning of work scraping paint off an old mural in the heart of the village. The other students were being taught cricket by local kids and plannng learnng activities for our summer enrichment program.

This area is called #1 Beach. It's a local favorite and a now a Putney favorite. After we wear ourselves out jumping around in the huge waves that come crashing in, it's a treat to wade in the blue-green fresh river water that empties into the ocean.

We take turns wth meal preparation at the house. For the
most part it's been going great! We thought you might enjoy
seeng what happens to the kitchen when a trio of well-intentioned
students plan a ramen noodle feast for 17 people!

The group has arrived

2009-06-28T21:39:00.001-04:00

We've received word from the leaders that the group has arrived in Roseau.

An update from Bense

2009-06-26T12:45:00.005-04:00

Greetings from Bense, Dominica! The people in Bense are wonderful and have been very hospitable and helpful while final preparations are being made for the group's arrival on Sunday.

Enjoy the photos below and I look forward to meeting you all soon!

-Russell

Glenda is our cook, guide, a member of the
community council, and a wealth of information. She seems to know
everyone on the entire island! Today we went to the capital city,
Roseau, to buy groceries for the upcoming weeks. Here, Glenda poses at a
vegetable stand in Roseau.

The terrain in Dominica is startling. Bense is
situated a bit inland, tucked into the mountains, but the ocean is visible
from a few vantage points.

Today we also bought cement bricks, hammers,
and nails to help fix a house in Anse de Mai, a neighboring village.
An elderly woman was living in the house, which is in near complete
disrepair. Here are Emma Charles, an important member of the
community council and our main contact in Bense, and the daughter of
the elderly woman, outside the house.

Another project the group will undertake is to
repaint this wall in the heart of Bense. We will develop and paint a
mural for the wall depicting the issues that are most significant to
the people of Bense.

Meet the trip leaders

2009-06-16T15:49:00.001-04:00

2009 Dominica leaders: Russell Mayhew and Eliza Camire

ELIZA CAMIRE: St. Michael's College, B.A., cum laude, English Literature and Writing; SIT Graduate Institute, M.A. Candidate, International Education. Eliza’s first trip abroad was to South Africa her junior year of college. While in South Africa, she volunteered at a local township, helping with arts & crafts in a primary school. Eliza took the opportunity to travel to the neighboring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia. While at St. Michael's College, she was an active orientation leader, leading first year students on hikes in the Green Mountains of Vermont. After college, Eliza took 3 months to camp and hike through as many US National Parks as possible before starting her year as an AmeriCorps VISTA member. Eliza has also traveled to Spain and Panama. She spent this past year finishing up graduate work in International Education. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, singing, writing, and gardening.

RUSSELL MAYHEW: Indiana University, B.A., Cognitive Science. Northwestern University, M.S., Secondary Mathematics Education. Originally from Michigan, Russell lived in Chicago before settling in Vermont. Russell has worked with teenagers in a variety of contexts: as the leader and supervisor of a group of at risk boys in Maryland; as a one-on-one clinician and in-home tutor; as a student teacher at a suburban Chicago high school; and currently as a math teacher at a small public high school in Wilmington, Vermont. He also coaches a basketball team, mentors kids after school, and runs the Scrabble Club at his school. When not working, Russell keeps himself busy with music and baking bread.

Welcome!

2009-06-03T10:47:00.001-04:00

In order to keep parents updated on the progress of their child's Putney program, from time to time over the course of the program, the trip leaders will post an update on this blog. We hope that the occasional updates will keep you informed about the activities, projects and successes of the summer, as well as comfort the usual worries in sending a son or daughter to a far-away place.

You should expect leaders to post blogs no more than once per week during the program. We feel strongly that the leaders' first priority is the students and the program. The reasons for infrequent updates will be the very busy schedules of our program leaders as well as inconsistent internet access at Putney's various destinations throughout the world. Please know that any important issues on the program will be discussed and resolved with leaders and parents by phone, not through the blog.

We suggest that you subscribe to the blog during your first visit so that you will receive e-mail notifications at the end of the day whenever a new update is posted. To subscribe, enter your email address under 'Subscribe via e-mail' on the right-hand column of the blog.

Have a fantastic summer!