On Site in Villa Mella, Dominican Republic

With Javier (Tiko) and Candida Rodriguez, Community Partners, Villa Mella, DR

This week I came to Villa Mella, where I'll be on site for the next two years at the Hogar Renacer. Also, I'll be doing community work in a more marginalized barrio nearby known as El Tamarindo.
Tiko and his wife, Candida, (above) have been central in building their church center. Last night I was introduced to the entire congregation of about 200 people. What an exciting evening it was! Despite all of the rains from Tropical Storm Sandy, I've been having an wonderful week.

Here I am with Dulce Maria Cruz Jimenez (left), Social Worker at Hogar Renacer; Sister Gertrudis Bukowska, Director at Hogar Renacer, and other staff at the Hogar Renacer. This photo was taken Wednesday, my first full day at the Hogar. I agreed not to post any of the adolescents staying at the Hogar; however I will post a few photos of staff and the environs here.

This photo was taken Tuesday, with Adele Williams of Peace Corps, Dulce, and Community Activist Camila, both who came all of the way to our Peace Corps Training Center to meet with me and help carry my back pack and duffel to Villa Mella. I must say that Peace Corps does an outstanding job with regard to placing volunteers in community sites.  The Hogar Renacer, the Community at La Colonia, as well as the home in which I have been living have all been researched thoroughly before my placement here. Peace Corps staff really do work hard to develop relationships and bring volunteers and communities together! Natalie Ferrell and Heidi Larr of Peace Corps have been instrumental to ensuring that my work in the community to which I have been assigned can succeed. I have never felt more as though I were one wave in a vast ocean of life's support and good will.

These photos are taken of the Hogar Renacer building itself.

Hogar Renacer serves as an educational-therapeutic residential center for girls and adolescents with a history of sexual abuse. The home was founded in the year 2000 by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent Depaul, however it is relatively new to the neighborhood, having moved to its current location in Villa Mella just two years ago. The Center works with a small population of 12-16 resident girls, mostly between the ages of 10-16, who stay in the home an average of one to 3 years following their trauma. Hogar Renacer offers  integral services, including therapy, educational support, workshops in arts, crafts, music. Sports are offered as well. Hogar Renacer is a warm, welcoming place with a staff of two clinical psychologists, five educators, a social worker, secretary, two cooks, an arts and crafts teacher, a driver, and the Executive Director. The Director, Sor Gertrudis Bokowska, is from Poland. She speaks Spanish fluently, of course. I find her especially welcoming and fun to be with. All the staff is terrific. I really enjoy the Clinical Psychologist, as well.

Marcelina Rodriguez, Clinical Psychologist, is pictured above with the Director. As a Licensed Clincal Psychologist myself, I can't say how much I regard Marcelina Rodriguez and her warmth. My experience in California has been that Clinical Psychologists are in general are dry and rather distant people. Marcelina and I sang together in Spanish, which I loved, and she gave me a copy of the songs she sings with the girls. Also, I learned different games with the girls that are great mixers and don't require fluency in Spanish. I took photographs of all the girls (initially they were very shy, so uncharacteristic of Dominicans, yet indicative of past abuse and self-esteem issues). The girls were thrilled when they saw their photos in a montage, accompanied by a beautiful Bachata by Dominican favorite, Prince Royce. Their feedback was very favorable. Many wanted me to take more photos! I feel very fortunate to be off to a good start here at the Hogar Renacer. What a fine colleague Marcelina Rodriguez has been in my first week here.

 
 Finally succeeded in uploading a photo of my host "siblings"(they are the grandchildren of my host "mom") jumping up and down outside of the house yesterday is particularly pleasing, in that their delight after finally having a sunny day is so obvious. While it's been raining, we've been reading together in Spanish from my Kindle, while listening to an auditory telling of  Julia Alvarez's books in English. My Spanish is improving, and so is their English. The three children are: Ruth, age 15, Angel, age 14, and Antonia, age 9. These children are a great joy to be with.

Together, Ruth, Angel and Antonio performed parts of the book together, much to my great amusement. It is a great joy to be with children without the constant interference of electronic gadgets. Of course, we have had little electricity during the past four days, which I find has actually enhanced our time together. I began to get rain weary on Friday (as did everyone else), so the weekend of sunny weather has been a real treat.

Also, wanted to upload photos of my host "mom," Rafeala, who just celebrated her 70th birthday October 24, and the home in which I am staying in Villa Mella. This is quite a lovely home, and I have my own bathroom with running (although cold) water--an unexpected pleasure. My host mom talks a million miles an hour and isn't much of a listener. She is a very dominating woman, yet I generally succeed in letting my wishes be known. She means well!

Here is a photo of the church this community built. This is the building where I'll be able to lead groups. This members of the community are very strong in their commitment to one another. I am totally impressed by their success in coming together to build a church home. It was a undertaking that required a great deal of perseverance. The building is still not complete.

The Catholic service last evening was rather arduous; a fact of life I will just learn to tolerate once a week for the sake of building relationships here in my new community. I feel very fortunate for this community's welcome here!