Despedida

Hello there!

Since 2010, this blog has chronicled the work of myself and the community at school over the past 2 years and 4 months in Peace Corps. For now this will be my last post about my school community, IDENE, though I’m definitely not done telling their story. I plan to return to visit after Christmas, and currently keep in touch calling and emailing regularly during the past month and a half that I’ve been home in the States.

At the beginning of June, IDENE threw me a “despedida” or goodbye party. All the kids, teachers and staff gathered in an assembly in the main open room at school. The teachers and students spoke and gave me thank you cards and gifts. There were lots of hugs. And there were tears. After that last day at school, a few teachers and I went out to a group lunch downtown in my community and then to a scenic reservoir in Moncion, which is a neighboring town. You can see pictures below of my last day with IDENE and the trip we took on June 1st.

So a little about saying farewell to IDENE. (And please note that anything I write is nothing I haven’t said before at some point over the past 28 months). Simply put - working with this school has been a blessing. Each of the happinesses, friendships, and relationships I built here in my community, I owe to IDENE as they gave me a stable and supportive work environment and family the moment I walked through their door in 2010. I am thankful for all of the memories we shared together, and that I was lucky enough to be the one here with them everyday. There is no other way I would have wanted to spend the last two years, than working with the Dominicans whom I worked with. I will love my community and school always, and am a part of it. I’d like to think those who have visited IDENE understand when I say that it is a special place, and hopefully through what I’ve communicated on this blog readers understand that too. 

Thank you for your interest in IDENE and for more please visit their website or their Facebook pages. All in Spanish, but there are photos updates on Facebook which are fun.

Enjoy the last IDENE pictures! :)

Carmen, Andy, Marina, Mercedes, Victoria, Aniluz, Yngris, Orieta, Ruby, Yudelka, Dania, Kirsys

I gave each class a card, picture and usb memory stick with pictures of the classes from the past 2 years. The teachers do a lot of end of the year work with pictures, so they were able to use the photos for that.

listening to Kirsys and Pre-Primaria class

card from 3ro y 4to students & teachers Mercedes and Aniluz

Maria and Carmen

listening to Marina

Isa

showing me the photo album they made for me of pictures from the last two years!

Carmen, Marina, Viki, and Isa with a framed photo with message - a thank you gift from the school

Victoria, Maria & Alfredo

Victoria, Marina, Isa, Alex, Orieta, Maria, Alberto, Ruby

Marina, Maria & Orieta at Presa de Moncion

Presa de Moncion

Bear with me as I finish up a few more blog posts I have had in the works since being back in Mass. Fun, exciting, a little overwhelming, and although I do miss the DR everyday, it is simply nice to be back home for a bit. The blog has taken a backseat because there are so many things here! I will finish out this blog even if not in a timely fashion. 

Thank you for reading! 

XO

Pueblo Nuevo

Earlier this year in the 50th PCDR Anniversary conference post, I mentioned that I met a RPCV who served in Mao in the 1960’s. Mid-May I finally went out to visit Pueblo Nuevo, the nearby town where he built a school. We drove out knowing only the name of the school, figuring we’d ask around for directions and details once we got there. Although I had not yet personally visited the school, I was familiar with it because two teachers from my school work there during the afternoon school session. Conversations with the locals in town eventually led us to meet two individuals who helped build the school alongside the Peace Corps Volunteers over 50 years ago! I was amazed that our short visit there led us to these two who actually knew who and what events I was talking about from the 60’s. And in typical Dominican fashion, it just so happened that my friend who drove us there knew the family of these men we found. It seemed like such a great community, and I was glad to go out to Pueblo Nuevo and witness once again the personal connections people have to Peace Corps. 

Photos are of the new site (as of the 1990’s) of the JFK school, and the original school site that has been remodeled to a basketball court since its original construction.

New John F. Kennedy school built in the 90's, holding the original name of the school from the 60's.

Site of the original JFK school

Thanks for reading!

XO

COS

...aka - in Peace Corps terms - Close of Service. COS can entail a lot of things - selling all my stuff, closing out grants, lots of medical checks, one dental visit, several outgoing interviews with staff, turning in my phone, mosquito net, keys, beloved yellow helmet (will remember and miss it forever. not sappy - it’s just the truth), closing out PC bank account and joint accounts with the school, writing final reports, and a bunch of other tasks I’ve honestly already forgotten I did. None of the requirements difficult - but it does mean time at the main office in the capital, and a lovely 8+ hour roundtrip bus trip (in the peak of political election season, ya tu sabes). :)

So point being - there’s a lot of little things to do for Close of Service and balanced with spending my last days with my Dominicanos, and just living the daily unpredictable DR life - it can and does pile up a bit . 

Essentially though, COS is saying goodbye to Peace Corps, and the volunteers and friends I served with. Will always love this group and our time together. Our last big group photos:)

Close of Service Conference - February 2012

Despedida! - May 2012

And reminisce with these photos:

Peace Corps Staging in Washington DC - March 2010

First Trip to the Beach - April 2010

One Year In Country in Bayahibe - May 2011

XO

International Biodiversity Day 2012

Hi there - 

Just wanted to share some photos from IDENE’s Biodiversity Day event a month ago on May 22nd. It was a community-wide event that the school organized and conducted. Each classroom presented lessons and displays on different themes which you’ll see in the photos. Minnie was even a special invitee to help out in the 1ro y 2do class, where students presented about animals. In short, an adorable (and educational!) day. Enjoy the photos!

Plant Diversity presentation in 3ro y 4to

Animal team in 1ro y 2do - a dove, a chicken, a duck, and Minnie:)

Vida Practica seed presentation

Recycled art in Vida Practica

Min loves merengue & bachata

recycled art!

reads: Dia de la Biodiversidad or Biodiversity Day - recycled cardboard sign, letters written in plastic bottle caps

manning the slideshow

getting ready

lots of photo ops with the dog!

identifying plant diversity at our school

presenting about the importance of clean rivers

loving all the attention

sharing and answering questions about our Montessori materials and projects

3ro y 4to students love little Min!

happy group!

IDENE teachers with Heroes del Medio Ambiente, our environment teacher training instructors, and UN Volunteer visitor

XO

PS - Most of you reading already know, but I’ll just add that I’m newly home in America now. Time got away from me the last few weeks on the island with moving, selling all my stuff, saying goodbyes, and taking in my last days in Peace Corps Dominican Republic, but I’ll be adding pictures and updates Stateside! Can’t leave the blog high and dry. :) More soon & thanks!