February has been exciting. At the start of the month, Peace Corps celebrated 50 years in the Dominican Republic! Hundreds of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCV’s) from past years, some who even served in the first cohort in 1962(!), came back to the DR to celebrate at the anniversary event in Santo Domingo.
The anniversary conference featured current projects of volunteers, panel discussions, excursion trips for the RPCVs, an artisan fair, and much more! I helped out a couple of days with a volunteer initiative to document and record memorabilia, site locations and project summaries from previous volunteers who have served in the DR. It was fun to meet the RPCVs as they came through our room and see all of their old photos and documents from their days here. During the conference, I even met a volunteer from Boston who not only served in the same Dominican town, but also lived on my same street here in 1962 - how crazy is that?! PCDR is really something awesome - a fact which can be confirmed by my mom, as her visit coincided with the 50th anniversary. :)
Aside from taking part in the wonderful 50th events, meeting the PCDR Worldwide Director, and being in the presence of many generations of volunteers, my mom and I were able to tour Santo Domingo a bit, meet my friends here, as well take a cacao/chocolate making tour in the east (a volunteer’s project!). It was a busy trip, but I think, a really unique time to visit, and, in my opinion, the best way for my mom to have seen Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic.
Enjoy the pics!
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| a night out to dinner with RPCV's from the 1960's |
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| Amber's presentation, featuring IDENE and our school's teacher training initiatives in Mao |
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| larimar for sale at the artisan fair |
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| new murals in Hacienda Hernandez - volunteer lounge name dedication to PCDR's first director |
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| with worldwide Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams at the US Embassy |
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| Ambassador's Reception at the Embassy |
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| first public transportation experience in the capital...jammed 7 to a sedan - and loving it! |
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| peace! from the overpacked carro publico |
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| Colonial Zone |
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| artwork spotted along the way... sums up the local DR travel experience |
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| Colonial Zone |
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| fabulous 50th logo on the cake! |
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| during the chocolate tour |
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| all the steps from cacao to chocolate |
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| sampling the finished chocolate :) |
Coincidentally, exactly two years ago today (March 3rd), this happened, and we all met Director Williams for the first time!
Take care, all.
XO
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