I believe that community service and volunteerism are very important. The best thing a person can donate is their time. Helping others through community service has made me learn so much about others as well as myself. Being a volunteer in DR helped me realize the difference in culture and even strengthened my knowledge about my own surroundings. The smallest favors you do for someone can make such an impact especially when asking for nothing in return. I feel so happy to be able to help someone and make their lives easier even if it is just painting walls and chairs. This project has taught me that their is so much extra help needed in places you wouldn’t even think of. Not everyone can afford to hire someone for help or to do work and doing it without pay made me feel better as a person; i gained values such as humbleness, gratefulness, honesty, sincerity and respect which are among the important virtues that one can acquire from helping the community. This trip has been amazing and heart melting experience, seeing how happy those kids were even though we could not understand each other because of the language barrel. but we did not let that stop us from making a connection. as frustrating as not speaking Spanish was, i learned that sometimes you do not need to speak the language to understand or help someone.
The day we went to the DaJabon will be an unforgettable experience. As we were heading back to the bus i noticed a little boy about 7 years old sitting next to our bus. He was holding a basket of peanuts in one hand and a smaller bag on the other. He had crossed the Haitian boarder alone to sell peanuts. i decided to give him some money that was in my pocket, which was only 50 pesos about 1 US dollar. one of my peers gave him another 50 pesos and he thought that she was buying his peanuts because he proceeded to give her the entire basket of peanuts. i have never felt so emotions. i was angry i couldn’t take him home with me because Haitians who crossed the border were not allowed passed a certain point. Hurt that this parents were not with him, Disappointed at myself for only having an apple, water, and 50 pesos to give him. I am curious to know what he was thinking about as he sat there staring at his basket of peanuts and amazed because after he had eating the food we gave him, he saved the apple and the meal my peers had brought him. Sometimes it’s the little things in life that make all the difference.
Rowan University Service Trip 