WELCOME TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC!

SOMOS AMIGOS

We arrived from all over the world.  Frank was there to meet us.  On Sunday morning, we met for breakfast, introductions and orientation.  After a 2 hour bus ride we arrived to Naranjito.

Ramona's home... cold showers, mosquito nets, lotsa chickens, beautiful scenery.

Nancy, my nursing partner and friend.

Meghan

Mary

Dr. Jose...

Dental clinic staffed by students from Columbia University...

Our Pharmacy.....

Ed and Mary....

Carolina

Gerta, our Haitian interpreter....

Dr. Marcus and Dr. John....

Our last night.....

SOMOS AMIGOS.....There are many wonderful groups doing good work in the Dominican Republic and around the world.  Somos Amigos is different in some ways and these differences are also the core of their mission.  On the start Somos Amigos wanted to commit themselves to the community, to reach out to the people there and gradually to the people in the surrounding countryside.  From the start, Somos Amigos has worked alongside their Dominican brothers and sisters.  All decisions are made with them;  mindful to respect the dignity and integrity of the people they serve.  We live with the people we serve and the residents of Naranjito work with us each day the clinic is open.  We have become a part of the life of Naranjito and the people living there are an important part of our lives as well.  How we serve - with compassion, respect, patience and a sense of humor.  800-900 patients are seen in 4 days.....Volunteers live with a Dominican family in their home.  Each person has their own bed and a mosquito net.  We have access to a single spigot shower, cold water, private shower or attached to the home somehow.  Many homes have inside toilets but some families use an outside outhouse called a sanitario.  We did have an inside toilet but no toilet paper in the toilet.  There is a small garbage can for that!!!!!  (Jeanne, you would not like this!!!!!!)  Somos Amigos provided purified water.  We ate all our meals together as a group - about 40-50 of us.  Lourdes was a wonderful cook.  The diet was simple and typical campesino.  Malaria pills were provided and our greatest health risk in the DR comes from intense sunshine and eating or drinking what we should not! (Thanks Barry for the water purification system!)  The house where we shared meals was uphill....I am getting my exercise!!!!!!  We are using ear plugs to keep the roosters from waking us up too early!  A good flashlight and hiking boots are essential.  Naranjito is about 30 miles from the Haitian border so we are seeing many Haitian families in the clinic.  Gerta is our interpreter.  The Dominican Republic has recently been sending Haitian immigrants without papers back to Haiti even though they have lived in the DR all their lives.  (Sounds too familiar)  We have met many beautiful people whose only medical care has been Somos Amigos.  We are glad to be here.