Monday, March 03, 2008

The real DR

DR really came to life for us today. We started with a quick filming of families coming out from church today. Then we drove around for a while, trying to find a good location for filming some of the poorer neighborhoods.
We ended up in a large barrio near the main airport. Along the highway it doesn't look so bad--the streetside row of buildings are small and a bit run down, but mostly they're of a middle working class. Then we drove in further, away from the highway, and all of a sudden it's like rural Belize. Streets are unpaved, rocky dirt roads, the houses are dilapidated tin and wooden huts, and children run around half-dressed, not attending school. It was probably one kilometer from the main highway, but as the folks we spoke to said, they were a forgotten community.

First we spoke to some mothers and their two daughters, who were all sitting on the front porch of their one-story wooden house. We interviewed the girls and learned that they want to be doctors when they grow up, and that they like their public school but wish it were closer to home. Their mothers told us that though their sons are six and seven years old, they don't go to school yet because the distance is too far to walk alone. They also complained that the teachers are poorly trained and often don't show up to school, so kids are just sent home.

As we walked further into the barrio and encountered worse "streets" and houses, we met up with a young man named Juan Benitez Valdez. He was understandably bitter and angry at the situation of his neighborhood, and spoke very eloquently about the changes they needed. We weren't too surprised, after hearing him talk, to learn that his brother is the head of the neighborhood community association that is trying to improve their area, La Caleta. Juan brought us to his brother and we interviewed both of them. You can see both of them speak in our movie.
I think all of us were inspired by their drive and hard work, and by the way that everyone in La Caleta has a very constructive and determined outlook. We're going to put them in contact with Humberto Vandenbulcke, the head of DR's Fe y Alegria. We think their association could benefit from and contribute to the international Compromiso por la Educacion, a campaign and network that comprises a variety of nonprofits. I think we'll also add them to our own project list.

After the heaviness of the morning's visit (and the intense pace of the prior week), we decided to break for a couple of hours. We had a Dominican-style lunch, eaten outside off of shared platters-- a great grilled whole fish that we picked to pieces, fried chicken, fresh avocado...it was just delicious. Then we took an hour to hit the beach and swim in the absolutely perfect Caribbean.
All in all, I think I've fallen in love today--with the ever-present, loud Dominican culture and music, with the brothers Benitez who are changing their community, and with the amazing beach that's five minutes from the city. The only thing that throws me off is DR's Columbus cult--there are statues of him and plazas named after him. It's wild, considering his arrival was so harmful for the island. It may be this same mentality that allows for a community of Dominicans to be forgotten, even as it sits--as Juan said-- right next to the airport, the first thing visitors see as they enter the country. If you recall my entry from yesterday, my first impression certainly wasn't too positive.

Maybe we can convince the Minister of Tourism to help them out.

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