“Do you have a husband?”

This is our family in our backyard in September 2012.

“Yes,” I replied. I was already annoyed- and wary, because I knew she already knew the answer and knew where she was heading due to the content of her grumbling.

“Huumm,” she replied, with her back still turned. “¿Blanco?” she asked, which means she was asking if my husband is white.

“No,” I replied, even angrier still, as she already knew the answer but wanted to have a way to let me know her thoughts.

“Humm,” she again replied, forcefully. “¿Negro?”

“Sí.” I looked at her daughter, the grandmother of the family, who just sort of smiled and looked at me to see how I would react. Her granddaughter and mother of a little three-year-old boy was cleaning behind us and was getting a kick out of her grandmother. She began laughing loudly and obviously at her grandmother’s comments. I was angry,  but I learned a long time ago that many times letting people know that they are upsetting you can be quite embarrassing in the Dominican Republic. I’ve done it on many occasions and had people actually listen as a result but I already knew that this family was not going to listen, but would only use a scene I would create to further criticize me. So I kept my cool.

In Spanish she went on to say, “I don’t like black. I like white.” This statement is completely confusing to a biracial family like ours. When I hear remarks such as these, it feels as though they are basically sucking up to me for no reason other than my stupid skin color (and mistreating my husband for the same stupid reason). I have seen other white people on this island who obviously use their white skin to advance themselves in the Dominican social world.

I recently ran into a German woman I used to work with at a bilingual school. She visited with me and my son Ilayas as we sat and ate a hamburger. It was during our short conversation that she learned that my husband, Ilayas’ father, is Haitian. Almost immediately, she switched tables to sit with a Dominican friend, where she spoke negatively about me and my Haitian-fathered son (who, by this point, was happily playing with her daughter). I ended up calling her out on it, and I will admit that I got a good cry in on the car ride home from that outing. I was heartbroken that anyone would speak negatively or hatefully toward my son who I love so much. But that was the first and last time I have and will cry over such stupidity.

Back in the great-grandmother’s cafeteria, I ended up asking the elderly woman if she had a husband and when she replied I returned her same strong “Huummm.” She went on to tell me that he is light and that she, again, doesn’t like black, she likes white. I told her that that was her problem between her and God, and not mine, I got my food and my change, and went on my way.

I briefly thought to boycott the cafeteria after this exchange, but ultimately I realize that perhaps I should be above the situation and still mingle with the family to a small extent. I think it was somewhat written off as a racist old grandmother act and me being a progressive young challenger of norms who is unavoidably going to receive such critiques, but unavoidably, like I said, challenge the norms in the minds of many observers.

Sometimes when I buy something at a small grocery store in the community or a food stand, the Dominican worker calls me “La Morena.” Many Haitians and darker Dominicans in this country are referred to as “Moreno” or “Morena” which is a word for dark. I am very light-skinned and Irish-looking so this is obviously a name referring to my dark, Haitian husband and strong association with Haitians in general. The first time someone called me Morena I took offense to it slightly because I knew the person was saying it in a negative way, but then quickly decided to take it as a compliment instead. After all, to take offense would be seen as agreement that there is something wrong with being dark-skinned.

For more posts on dealing with racism as a stranger in a foreign land, check out “I Can’t Say Chino” by Nereida Heller or “A Lesson in History: Race on the Island of Hispañola” by Cailtin McHale. Caitlin is currently living in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic as the co-founder and executive director of Project Esperanza.

He had never worked construction before but in July when a family member called him and invited him to join him in another part of the country where there was construction work, he went to try it out. He planned on staying a month and coming back in time for the new school year. We kept in contact while he was gone. One day he called to let me know he would be there the following Monday when school was scheduled to start. He didn’t show up and I couldn’t reach him because there was no cell phone signal where he was staying. He used to have to travel to find cell phone signal in order to call me. I finally spoke with him and he said that he had had problems but would surely be there the following Monday.

When he showed up, he explained that when pay day came around, it was pushed back a week. This caused everyone to be extra antsy. The following week when the construction workers gathered to receive their monthly pay, they were informed by the engineer that the “maestro” had disappeared with the money. Typically how construction jobs work is that there is an engineer responsible for directing the entire project. There are also “maestros” responsible for overseeing a group of workers, checking that they come on time, work throughout the day, do what they are supposed to do, etc. They are also typically the ones to receive the pay money from the engineer or whoever is funding the project and pay out their workers.

I think it is also important to put this story into perspective by stating that construction work here is not the same as in the developed world. I was reminded of this when I searched for images by typing “construction” and I saw large equipment such as tractors and bulldozers. Those are hard to come by here. I then searched “construction, Dominican Republic” and found pictures of resorts. This is definitely the more appealing part of the operation to show, but there is back breaking labor and slave-type abusive situations involved in creating these island paradises. This is perhaps something to think about the next time you plan your vacation to a Caribbean all inclusive resort.

This photo was taken by JMM01 on Flickr

This teacher, who is 26 years old and named Willy, said that some of the men cried “like babies” upon hearing the news as they had lost several hundred dollars, which is quite a lot for a construction worker in this society. He himself is so used to hardship that he was in disbelief but almost a non-disbelief. He had already built up a debt to the local “colmado” or small grocery store which he planned on paying once he received his pay. He had to borrow money from a friend then to pay that debt off and for transportation money to return home to Puerto Plata. So he traveled across the country during his summer vacation hoping to build up a little savings and be able to purchase new work clothes for the new school year. Instead, he came back with nothing in his pocket and, in fact, even debt.

The only thing I could tell Willy was that I was proud that he had gone and worked construction as he hadn’t done so before and also that he could be grateful for the knowledge and skills he gained. We also, of course, ranted about the corruption of this country. Someone does something like that and gets away with it. What sort of example does that set for others? Where is the justice?

Things have not started much better for us this school year, financially. We have been able to provide uniforms and books for students due to a new student sponsorship program we have. We were also able to run a wonderful week of teacher training before the school year began for the first time. But as far as teacher salaries go, we have only been able to pay two of the three months that have passed so far this school year, tacking a fifth month onto the months owed. We have four volunteers here working hard to generate income for Project Esperanza through our small business efforts. However, as any business founder knows, this takes time before things really turnover. Without our faithful supporters, we would be nowhere. We just need more faithful supporters.

Read here if you are interested in sponsoring a student. Read here if you are interested in becoming a monthly sponsor. I invite you to join us in prayer and support of Haitians who venture to the Dominican Republic in search of life as, in consistency with what I have stated in previous posts, their journey is not an easy one.

Caitlin McHale is currently living in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic as the co-founder and executive director of Project Esperanza.

Today’s guest post comes from Rob Gradoville, a current Kiva Fellow, Rotary Scholar, and Fulbright Fellow in Cusco, Peru. Since 2005, Rob has been thinking about the best way to provide the basic services that rural folks in the developing world want and need most: clean water and electricity. During his undergraduate days he designed a water pumping system for a coffee cooperative in Nicaragua, and was hooked by every aspect of the work. He later worked with the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic, bringing water, improved sanitation, and electricity to a mountain village over the course of his stay. Returning to graduate school he focused on environmental sustainability of service provision, and managed an Engineers Without Borders water pumping and distribution project for a village in Ecuador. Given his myriad experiences in international development work and his familiarity with some of the best-known programs for working and volunteering abroad, his post today seeks to inform would-be-do-gooder’s just what to expect from working and living la vida Idealist. Check out his last two posts, which discussed the value of overseas service-trips & overseas learning workshops and Fulbright Fellowships & Rotary Scholarships.

To recap: I imagine some La Vida Idealist readers have considered applying to the Peace Corps,overseas research grants, overseas workshops on topics in development, Fulbright Fellowships, Rotary Scholarships, Kiva Fellowships, and possibly service-learning trips if you are currently students.  The list goes on and on.  And it can seem like a big and slightly mystifying list for anyone who just wants to make a decision and do something!

There are a lot of similar experiences out there, and it can be tough narrowing down the right choice for you. Here is my perspective as foreign workers in Peru who is currently doing or has done those projects listed above.  If you are thinking about “doing something different,” “getting out of a work rut,” or “finally being one of those people who GOES and DOES something,” I hope this post helps you make a decision about what exactly to do.

The Peace Corps

The author's village in the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic.

1) What it’s Like and What it was Like for Me

I served as a “Healthy Environments” volunteer in the Dominican Republic from 2007 to 2009. Peace Corps is something I can’t stop thinking about.  It is a mix of training, really independent work, and unique field research.  I lived in the mountains with 200 villagers, without ready access to clean water, adequate sanitation, electricity, you name it.  I bathed in the river every day, collected drinking water from a spring with the locals, and really slooooooooowed down for a bit.

I was sent there to help my village gain access to clean, piped water.  I ended up doing that, learning a lot about what it means to be poor and not receive any attention, and working on a bunch of other projects.  The first 3-5 months I was pretty uncomfortable, lonely, even scared at times.  But in the next year and a half I built closer relationships than many of mine in the states and felt much more comfortable, happy, and alive than I have ever felt in the USA.  My time was filled with sun, pipes, wrenches, concrete, donkeys, mud, plantains, mangoes, rice, beans, grants, paperwork, and more community meetings that I can count.

Peace Corps is really an in-depth, immersive service-learning experience.  Nothing is sugar-coated for you, and that might scare you at first.  But as an insider view of a different culture and a different way of life, there is absolutely nothing like it.

2) Level of Freedom or Structure

First three months are language, culture, and technical training.  After that Peace Corps staff tell you to call X number 24-hours a day for health problems, Y number 24-hours a day for other problems, drop you off in a village where you probably only speak a little bit of the local language, and say GOOD LUCK!  They tell you that you will be receiving around $300/month with which you are supposed to live, work, pay rent, buy food, all that.

In short, the Peace Corps provides the most basic structure for survival but beyond that you are on your own.  They also try to pair you up with a community that has need for your specific skill-set.  For me it worked out great.  For others, it was a mess and they had to “make it work” on their own, demonstrating their value and getting involved where they felt they could help.  Peace Corps REQUIRES you to be extremely independent, proactive, and outgoing.

3) Was I Useful? Did I make a ‘Difference’?

Yes and yes – I brought engineering skills to a village that needed them.  I also am kinda stubborn, which helped with motivation in an area that was used to beingpobre, having nada, and expecting nada. Sometimes the match of your skills meshes perfectly with the needs of the community.  If it doesn’t, you better suck it up, find where you are needed, and make it happen.  Peace Corps is an opportunity to guide the development of a poorer area, from the inside out, and will test you in every way.

4) Dolla Dolla Bills Y’all

Peace Corps doesn’t cost you one cent.  They will fly you from you house to the host country, teach you some language skills, some technical skills, and plant you in a community with a family that will take care of you for two years. When it’s all over, they will fly you back home and give you around $6,000 to “re-adjust” to the United States. It is an amazing deal, and I really hope to do it again some day.  On the other hand there is some significant investment of time (2 years of service and three months of per-service training).  On the whole, when I was at home two years later with $6,000 in my pocket, I was financially about the same place as many of my friends who had taken more traditional paths.

5) Was it Worth it?

Yes.  I am a huge fan.  The application and interview process is very rigorous and trying, and the average time between applying and being given an overseas position is usually 6-9 months, but it is well worth it.  Even if you leave your country of service without thinking you “helped” as much as you should have (this is almost universal, by the way), you leave with a very personal relationship with your host-family and community.  That relationship will affect the way you live your life, the perspectives you can understand, and overall, your level of solidarity with people who drew the short straw in life, for whatever reason.  It is not easy or straightforward, but as is a common phrase among RPCVs (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers), that this is “the toughest job you will every love.”

Kiva Fellowship

A group of Kiva borrowers just outside the city of Cusco.

1) What it’s Like and What it was Like for Me

I am currently a Kiva Fellow with Asociación  Arariwa in Cusco, Peru. If you are reading the Stories From The Field blog you probably have a good idea of what we do.  But if you don’t, I am proud to say that Kiva is one of the most organized experiences of this sort that I have participated in.  I was trained for a week in San Francisco(LONG 11-hour-days, where you learn a LOT!), paired with a microfinance organization somewhere in the world, given a desk, given specific tasks (but still the freedom to innovate and take on news tasks as they may appear), and given a lot of support from Kiva Fellows Program staff.  If I need to talk to someone in San Francisco, I can do it probably tomorrow.  If not, I can just keep showing up to my office and working with my in-country partners.

2) Level of Freedom or Structure

As I mentioned above, I was given a work-plan that I am expected to accomplish for Kiva.  They maintain long relationships with their in-country microfinance partners and can look strategically at what most needs improvement at a specific point in time.  Kiva Fellows are eyes, ears, and boots-on-the-ground implementers for all it is that Kiva does.  There is no long period of ‘figuring out what to do’ because you arrive with a very good idea of what needs to be done.  But Kiva is a very innovative startup, with an environment that breads creativity.  I have never felt stifled by any Kiva staff, and that has allowed me to enjoy each day of this Fellowship.

3) Was I Useful? Did I make a ‘Difference’?

Kiva Fellows do important work, work that keeps Kiva not only up and running, but allows them to explore new avenues of growth and innovation.  It is exciting seeing directly the improvements you make with Kiva and your partner microfinance institution.  It is also exciting to be given the chance to go meet Kiva borrowers, meet the loan officers that facilitate those loans, and hear, feel, see how these small loans are such a source of hope and improvement for people all over the world.  I studied engineering, and have not had a problem keeping up with the financial work involved with the position.  I would say if you are comfortable with mathematics and basic accounting you can expect to be utilized very well by a Kiva Fellowship.

4) Dolla Dolla Bills Y’all

The one major downfall of a Kiva Fellowship is that there is no financial support beyond basic health insurance coverage.  Fellows fundraise or directly pay for their time overseas, including the flight to San Francisco for training, the flight overseas, rent, food, etc.  This can be a substantial burden, but I think that the experience is worth the expense.  It is an investment in your personal growth, and allows you to help in a significant capacity with a major player in the world of global investment/philanthropy.

5) Was it Worth it?

Yes.  It is not as easy to say yes because, let’s be honest, a number of other programs don’t require a financial investment up front.  But the Kiva Fellows Program gives you a look into what I consider to be one of the most promising approaches to creatively finance progress and development overseas.  Like most things, and exactly like Kiva borrowers all over the world, you have to invest something financially to reap the benefits later on.

It is a bottom-up approach, and relies on the sensibilities of millions of entrepreneurs.  Kiva provides a loan.  Borrowers decide how to use it to improve their own lives.  In this way, you can be sure that the funds are used for something truly productive.  It is a simple concept, but to keep that bridge open Kiva needs your help.  Kiva NEEDS Kiva Fellows.  Entrepreneurs NEED Kiva Fellows.  And that is why the experience is so worth it.  You can be that person, fill that need, and learn a ton in the process.

*          *          *

There you have it.  Those are my impressions.  I hope this was helpful but now it is up to you to decide.  To each his own!

To recap: I imagine some La Vida Idealist readers have considered applying to the Peace Corps,overseas research grants, overseas workshops on topics in development, Fulbright Fellowships, Rotary Scholarships, Kiva Fellowships, and possibly service-learning trips if you are currently students.  The list goes on and on.  And it can seem like a big and slightly mystifying list for anyone who just wants to make a decision and do something!

There are a lot of similar experiences out there, and it can be tough narrowing down the right choice for you. Here is my perspective as foreign workers in Peru who is currently doing or has done those projects listed above.  If you are thinking about “doing something different,” “getting out of a work rut,” or “finally being one of those people who GOES and DOES something,” I hope this post helps you make a decision about what exactly to do.

FULBRIGHT GRANT

1) What it’s Like and What it was Like for Me

I am currently a Fulbright Scholar here in Peru, working with PACC-Peru on water resources issues associated with climate change in the Andes Mountains. My opinion of Fulbright is very good, though it seems to be relatively front-loaded.  The application process is very rigorous, and at the end of the day requires two very polished essays- one about who you are, and one about what you want to do as a Fulbrighter- and collaboration with a host-institution overseas, which eventually needs to write a letter of support for your work. Once in-country you are given a short (in my case, one-day) orientation by the local Fulbright staff, then are sent off to your location of study.  (Every country is different, and many include a 3-day orientation in Washington DC before departure from the United States, but mine country was not included in this event.)  Upon arrival you discuss that finely tuned research proposal with your host-institution, making modifications that range from slight variations to complete redirection, and you go on your way, exploring whatever you set out to explore.  You are not babysat, you are encouraged to get to know the country, and you are reminded that the research is only part of your experience.  Most Fulbrighters need to be reminded to chill out, not the other way around.

2) Level of Freedom or Structure

Once in country, the Fulbright experience is very open.  You receive a monthly living stipend to cover all of your expenses, and are asked to “check in” once a month just to let the Fulbright Commission know how everything is going.  In this way you really can do anything you want, as long as it is communicated with your host-institution.  I think this would be a daunting challenge if I hadn’t had significant overseas experience previously.  From another perspective, it is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to do and study whatever gets you going!  You are in the driver’s seat.

3) Was I Useful? Did I make a ‘Difference’?

Fulbrighters are listened to.  It is regarded as a very prestigious grant in both the United States and overseas (though I imagine this can depend on the host country).  Though  I am only a couple months into my grant, I am aware that my results will not simply be filed away.  They will be read and analyzed.  The potential for helping is very real.

4) Dolla Dolla Bills Y’all

Fulbright is a grant.  All expenses are paid for (after you are awarded the grant).  So, it is a great option if you have a good idea, connections overseas, and the time and patience necessary to get through the application process and overseas experience (about 2.5 years from the start of the application to the end of the grant period).  The application should be started probably 3-6 months before the submission date, which is typically about a year before the date of departure for Fulbrighters.  And, like all competitive things, there is much luck involved.  I would consider Peace Corps a “weed-in” program, where most applicants who sincerely want to help can make their way in.  Fulbright is a fine toothed comb, and even very brilliant people are not accepted for one reason or another.

5) Was it Worth it?

So far, so good.  I can’t help but compare this experience to that which I had in the Peace Corps.  As a Peace Corps Volunteer I was not respected very much by local government, and generally treated as another “missionary” of sorts.  I understood what poverty was, but felt incapable of fixing lots of the problems I saw.  As a Fulbrighter I know that I have access to much more influential people, and I will be listened to.  It seems to me that it is definitely worth it.  As a side note, had I not experienced the Peace Corps, I might have seen the Fulbright experience as semi “normal”.  I live in an apartment, pay bills, and work on my research.  In that way a Fulbright Grant is less of a life-changing experience for me than living in a mountain village; it is complete freedom to explore issues that are important to me, given the support and resources to do so.

ROTARY SCHOLARSHIP

The author concentrating wayyy too hard to try to take a steady photo, looking down on Cusco, Peru.

I am currently a Rotary Cultural Scholar in Peru. Becoming a Rotary Scholar involves an application similar to Fulbright but, in my opinion, it does not have to be nearly as polished of an idea as the Fulbright application process requires.  I am studying Quechua and water resources management with my Rotary funds.  This Rotary Scholarship provides support monetarily.  There is no orientation, no help with overseas planning, and no in-country contact for my work.  I am on my own.

2) Level of Freedom or Structure

Extremely free.  I have not communicated directly with my grantor more than once in the past two and a half months.  As a Rotary Scholar you define your own structure in the application, and you are expected to follow that plan.  But again, there is no babysitting.  Your experience is what you make of it.

3) Was I Useful? Did I make a ‘Difference’?

I am studying here, so I don’t see a direct impact to what I am doing.  Still, I know that Quechua skills will pay dividends in my Fulbright and Kiva work and will be an invaluable skill in the future.  Whereas Peace Corps was immediate gratification (seeing water come out of a pipe), Rotary is about building capacity, namely in people who they think will be able to help further down the line.  It is similar to Fulbright in this way.

4) Dolla Dolla Bills Y’all

Rotary Grants vary in the amount they provide, but they generally are very flexible as to what they can cover.  Flights, insurance, food, lodging, costs of courses and/or tutors, and cultural trips are all fair game.  The grants vary greatly in their duration, but one year seems to be common.  In my case, the funds were dispersed up-front and I am required to provide documentation of all expenses.  Whatever isn’t spent, I will have to give back.

5) Was it Worth it?

Very much so.  More than the funding, Rotary is a global network.  I hope that this experience will help me connect with like-minded people in the future as I may try to continue to “help” those in the world that need it.  As an experience by itself, I think Rotary is amazingly un-regulated.  As a first long-term overseas experience, I would not recommend it.  The structure provided by Peace Corps, Fulbright, and Kiva(discussed below)  are necessary to guide your overseas experience.  That said, if you are an experienced traveler and are looking for some funding to do something creative and open-ended, a Rotary Scholarship might be just what you are looking for.

Check out Part I, which took on overseas service-learning trips and overseas workshops, and stay tuned for Part III, which will Kiva Fellowships and the Peace Corps.

Should I become a Kiva Fellow? I imagine some La Vida Idealist readers have considered applying to the Fellowship, or have wondered what the comparison is between the Kiva Fellows Program to similar volunteer or development programs abroad. This may include the Peace Corps, overseas research grants, overseas workshops on topics in development, Fulbright Fellowships, Rotary Scholarships, and possibly service-learning trips if you are currently students.  The list goes on and on.  And it can seem like a big and slightly mystifying list for anyone who just wants to make a decision and do something!

There are a lot of similar experiences out there, and it can be tough narrowing down the right choice for you. Here is my perspective as a Kiva Fellow in Peru who is currently doing or has done those projects listed above. This series of posts will compare and contrast “what it’s like” to be a Kiva Fellow to the myriad other programs out there.  If you are thinking about “doing something different,” “getting out of a work rut,” or “finally being one of those people who GOES and DOES something,” I hope this post helps you make a decision about what exactly to do.

To that end I will categorize each of the above experience based on five criteria.

1) What it’s Like and What is was Like for Me

2) Level of Freedom or Structure

3) Was I Useful? Did I make a ‘Difference’?

4) Dolla Dolla Bills Y’all

5) Was it Worth it?

‘Nuff talk.  Enjoy!

Overseas Service Learning

College students working on clean water project in Ecuador, '11.

1) What it’s Like and What It was Like for Me

I designed community water projects in Nicaragua as a student and have directed service learning projects for students to do the same in the Dominican Republic and Ecuador(and will do the same in Peru this coming spring).

Service-learning is really close to my heart because it is how I got pulled out of the sometimes dry world of engineering and into the colorful, inspired, much more complicated world of international development..  As a fourth-year undergraduate engineering student I designed a water pumping and delivery system for a village in Nicaragua. In order to implement this project, I  wrote out a proposal and was granted $10,000 bucks from the Davis “Projects for Peace” Foundation.  This service learning experience showed me for the first time how useful my skills could be in the world.  I have never been as challenged on a daily basis as I was during that project, nor have I have I been as ecstatic to get up every day and work.  My work included engineering design, studying Nicaraguan history and politics, trying to communicate with NGOs overseas and in the states, and learning as much Spanish as possible.  Occasionally I would talk with people in the village itself through skype, and my heartbeat literally doubled from excitement.  That personal connection was something extremely knew and exciting.

Service learning may exist at your university, and may not.  If it does, be proactive and get involved, then make it your own.  If it doesn’t exist, make it happen!  I found like-minded students and professors, and was allowed to work on the first service-learning engineering project at my university.  My last year at college I learned more than I did in the previous three, thanks to this service-learning project.

2) Level of Freedom or Structure

Usually these are fairly structured, for good reason.  It is part of a class and you have to finish SOMETHING.  Small, bite-sized projects are typical for service-learning experiences.  So, don’t get involved in this if you want to have the freedom to do exactly what you want or possibly scrap your original idea half-way through.  That said, these projects typically are more open to creativity than standard theoretical projects and/or reports.

3) Was I Useful? Did I make a ‘Difference’?

My experience was great, and I think I did help.  My service-learning team (engineers and environmental science students) was lucky enough to successfully pair up with NGOs that had follow-through capabilities.  This was very important, as we were new to the work.  Looking back, we were a group of young students trying to change the lives of 350 Nicaraguans.  That is powerful stuff, and if we were alone on the project, I think we would have had little impact or worse, would have set them back.  Make sure you have a good mentor capable of picking up the pieces if you decide to start up a new service-learning project.

4) Dolla Dolla Bills Y’all

This stuff usually costs some dough.  I would expect it to be around $1000-$3000 extra to do one of these for a semester rather than typical coursework. It is possibly included in your course fees or can tack on an additional couple grand.  Every experience is different.  BUT the good news is that you can dip in the educational funds money-bucket.  Educational grant funds are huuuuuge.  You can probably apply for scholarships, grants, etc. and get away doing this kind of thing almost for free.  If your “project” costs money to implement, that’s another thing.  It will probably be much harder to find funds within your university to go and implement, but look!  Mission programs, international study offices, and outside foundations like the one mentioned above are a good start.

5) Was it Worth it?

As a foot in the door, DEFINITELY.

That said, service-learning is a mixed bag, because it is usually attached to an educational institution (universities) where there is a focus on the educational component for students.  That is great, but sometimes leaves the person/group you were serving a little disappointed.  As service-learning is a partnership between a student-group and clients (overseas or not), there is much time and effort invested on both sides.  The student group will be expected to do more than simply write a final report, in many cases.  Be wary of the impact you are having on the project beneficiaries, and make sure that when you leave they also think it was worth it.  But at the end of the day, if I had not done this I would probably be a much wealthier but much more depressed engineer, sitting in a cubicle somewhere, making calculations.  Therefore I am a huge fan of service learning as a tool to show young people how to engage their community and world, and try to help.  To read an article I published on service-learning click here.

Overseas Workshops

The author soldering together individual solar cells in Nicaragua, 2007

1) What it’s Like and What it was Like for Me

I participated in a workshop on Appropriate Technologies in Nicaragua with the National Engineering University of Managua, which entailed some basic classes on the physics behind appropriate technologies like solar panels, solar water pumps, biodigestors, solar ovens, rope pumps, composting latrines etc.  We also built our own solar panels, solar cookers, helped construct an adobe building, and practiced our intercultural skills with a “homestay” with a humble Nicaraguan family. I have also participated in a  course on Globalization, Leadership, and Technology that culminated in an overseas conference in Vietnam and Taiwan.  The conference encompassed some very high level, involved visits with CEOs of large corporations and, in my opinion, was very much an outsiders view of a local culture.  The former was a bottom-up approach.

These experiences are similar to service-learning projects being that you are really only expected to learn.  They are also a great foot in the door or a refresher course on field work in a specific part of the world.

2) Level of Freedom or Structure

These are very structured. There will probably be a schedule for everything you do, from the time you land on the runway to the time you are swooped back up. They are usually pretty jam-packed and don’t leave much freedom to “do what you want” if it isn’t the specific goal of the workshop.

3) Was I Useful? Did I make a ‘Difference’?

The goal of these courses isn’t to ‘make a difference’ at all, or at least directly.  You pay to participate in these courses, and some of those funds may go towards the efforts of an NGO or social movement, but don’t expect to directly have a huge impact on anyone.  I didn’t leave Nicaragua thinking I had helped much, but I was more equipped to do so in the future.  I knew leaving Asia that I hadn’t done anything, but the experience might contribute to my future path in life.

4) Dolla Dolla Bills Y’all

Pricey.  I have seen these offered anywhere from $500-$1500 for a week!  That adds up.  Outside funding is probably harder because of what I said in #3. These courses are similar in price to overseas vacation tours.  The only difference is that on vacation tours you typically sit on a beach, get a tan, and enjoy relaxing.  For those short on time, this is probably a good option.

5) Was it Worth it?

In terms of professional development, for sure.  It is a very unique experience and might inspire you to do more, learn more, etc.  These are typically more serious about transferring knowledge to you than service-learning trips, so in terms of personal bang for your buck they might about the same, even though service learning experiences might be much longer.  Nevertheless, the personal connection to the experience developed over a longer period of time like a service-learning project is unlikely in these shorter trips.

Stay tuned for Parts II and III, which will cover Fulbright Grants, Rotary Scholarships, Kiva Fellowships, and the Peace Corps.

I caught up to him on Isaiah’s porch, intending to just quickly pop my head in the doorway to say hello to whoever happened to see me and then pop back out to hide around the corner. Isaiah came running outside and found me hiding around the corner. Right away he said what I was trying to avoid, although it wasn’t as powerful coming from a 6-year-old. “What are you doing out in “el sereno” with the baby!?”

Shortly after giving birth to our son in 2009, I learned about something that I had never heard of before in my life in the U.S. or the Dominican Republic. As soon as I tried to walk outside after dusk with my newborn, I was told to get back in the house and met with warnings of “el sereno” in Spanish and “seren an” in Haitian Creole. It is apparently a dangerous something in the air or sky that comes with nightfall that newborn babies and women who have recently given birth should not go out in. They also should not go outside, not even for a minute, if the sky is cloudy at any time of the day.

What will happen if they do? The baby will become sick and his or her yellow poop will turn very dark or green. Even the doctor won’t know how to get rid of it. And the mother will also become sick with one of the main symptoms being a headache. If mother and baby should need to go outside they should be sure to move quickly and to bundle up with socks, hats, long sleeves, the whole works… in August… in the Caribbean.

Now, I tested this a bit in 2009, disobeying and going outside after nightfall. The apartment we lived in at that time was in a pretty scarcely populated area. Therefore, I could get away with it without too much nagging. I am not sure if it was a placebo effect or not, but I do think I observed some of the symptoms after spending time in “el sereno” one evening. The symptoms included my son having darker poop, although it went away quickly.

On Sept. 10th, 2011 I gave birth to our second child, a baby girl. We now live in an area with many neighbors nearby. Our apartment that we live in is also hotter and smaller than the last one. So I have found it impossible to stay inside to avoid “el sereno” and the nagging neighbors that will criticize me for being outside in it and taking the baby out.

At our fifteen-day check-up I asked the pediatrician what “el sereno” was. He said that it waas nothing. Just don’t take the baby outside if it’s raining or cold. I then began responding to my neighbors with this response the doctor gave when they said, “What are you doing out in “el sereno” with the baby? That sereno will harm both you and the baby!”

When I tell them what the doctor said, they just sort of look at me and go on their way. Or sometimes I respond by asking, “What is ‘el sereno’?” No one has really given me a good answer yet. They say, it’s something in the sky or just don’t respond at all. Sometimes after I contest them in some way they look up into the sky as though they are looking to see how severe “el sereno” is at the moment and whether it is light enough to allow me to stay outside.

People often make comments about the weather, the air and their dangerous effects. I have always been confused, coming from a place that has at least a 100 degree Fahrenheit temperature difference throughout the course of the year as opposed to the perhaps 50 degree difference here. I have been told, not by scientific or medical experts, that things are not the same here and that air pressures and temperatures change very quickly, which is what is dangerous. I am not sure if there is any truth to this or not.

I will consider most claims and thoughts, even if I don’t understand them, but I oppose being ordered around with little proof of the danger of something. I often want to reply by reminding people that my daughter was born perfectly healthy despite daily comments that she would be hurt or killed because I carried around my son so much late into pregnancy. People repeatedly removed his knee from where it rested on the top of my stomach and argued that it would squish her head. I replied that the ultrasounds had shown that her head had been down for weeks. I’m not sure if anyone is starting to give me a little liberty to make my own such decisions after seeing that she was born without any harm. I also argue that fresh air is healthy for a baby as opposed to being shut up in a small and hot apartment all of the time. Nonetheless, I search for the best way to communicate without upsetting anyone.

Caitlin McHale is currently living in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic as the co-founder and executive director of Project Esperanza.

Our family's hands.

I had really hoped and prayed to avoid having another c-section, two years and one month after having one for our son Ilayas’ birth. We went to the hospital around 11am after I had had consistent contractions no more than ten minutes apart for over an hour. I had been in the day before after having pains all week but nothing consistent yet. Plus, I was either right on or past my due date. My doctor, after checking me, said that I was not dilated at all and I should come back on Monday. The lack of dilation was the reason for my first c-section.

So after hearing that on Friday afternoon, I went home and sent out prayer requests. Now on Saturday morning when the doctor checked me out, she confirmed that I was in labor, observing strong and consistent contractions, but I was still not dilated at all. She set me up in a room shared with one other patient and said she would come back at 5 or 6 p.m. If I was dilated, we would go on with things, but if not, we would have to do a c-section. If before that time my water broke or the contractions were less than 5 minutes apart, I should call her.

I paced around the hallway all day long, writing down the time of each contraction. I felt all the pain in my lower back. My husband and son hung around along with two of our friends. At 4 p.m., those two friends left and two more came. At this point, the contractions were consistently three minutes apart and I had already called the doctor. It was 5 p.m. before she arrived. She checked me first thing and regretfully found that I was not dilated at all. We would have to do a c-section. I began crying and tried to talk her into waiting a few more hours to see but she didn’t see the point in doing so when I was not dilated at all after those seven hours. I called my dad in the U.S. and bawled as I tried to break the news to him. I had tried calling my mom but didn’t reach her. He comforted me and talked about a healthy baby girl. After getting that sadness out, I quickly got over it, felt very peaceful, and grew excited to meet our baby girl.

It was about 6 p.m. before I went in for surgery. They stuck me over and over trying to administer the epidural. Every time they tried I felt like someone was stepping on my sensitive left kidney, which I had not felt pain in during the pregnancy, but now realized that it must have been infected. I kept inadvertently arching my back and the anesthesiologist had to try again.. and again.. and again. I cried a second time at one point, scared and in pain. My doctor hugged me and let me cry on her shoulder. Eventually the anesthesiologist was able to do the injection and things began.

Before I knew it, they pulled her round little body out, sewed me up, and wheeled us back to our room. Apparently my son had been entertaining others outside of surgery by punting his sandals and balancing them on his head, his new favorite trick. Recovering from this c-section, I have felt several times better than recovering from the first. I actually never took any pain medicine after returning home a day and a half after the surgery, and have not felt the need to, thank God.

I felt very down, however, about the c-section and the limit it may place on future births. However, during one of my sleepless nights with Maraya I found this blog where one woman has written about her 9 c-sections! After reading through each account and seeing their beautiful family photos, I felt at peace. I’m not saying that I want to have 9 c-sections but it made me happy to see that someone successfully had. Also, just days before giving birth, I met a new missionary family in town who work with Lifeline Children’s Services, a non-profit based in Alabama that facilitates adoptions in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti, as well as other countries. This got us thinking and talking about adopting from Haiti in the future.

So in conclusion, we have a beautiful and healthy addition to the family, we have hopes of adding more in the future, but in the meantime and/or even if we stopped right here, we are full of joy and celebration over the family we have been blessed with.

Caitlin McHale is currently living in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic as the co-founder and executive director of Project Esperanza.

A friend from Canada brought me a Mini Netbook Notebook laptop when she visited in April. I am still paying her back through giving English lessons to some girls she supports here. The computer was great as it allowed me to work from home and from my bed in the middle of the night as my toddler son sleeps. As we have had several pieces of electronic equipment stolen in the past, I was very protective over this little computer. I pretty much always carried it around in my book bag on my back.

After having the computer for less than a month, it disappeared. The day that it disappeared was a hectic day as we had a volunteer group here and I was trying to balance that on top of other everyday activities. I rushed out the door to make some copies before picking up the volunteer group and heading off to a community where we have a school to do house visits and school registrations which we would use to create student profiles for a new sponsorship program.I parked my vehicle in a parking area that borders Central Park in town. Without thinking and perhaps the first time ever, I left my bookbag, along with my computer, in the vehicle.

I ended up returning to the car once or twice to retrieve things before getting the job done and taking off to meet the volunteers. There was a man standing outside of my vehicle each time I returned which made me uneasy. This particular man I don’t like to see around at all because he is a healthy, intelligent appearing man who speaks perfect English yet he hangs around the park and begs or does begging type activities such as this. I was sure he would ask me for 50 pesos for protecting my vehicle and I was fully prepared with a firm negative reply as my vehicle was in a perfectly safe place and I felt that his presence was more dangerous than the presence of no one.

When I finally returned back to the car, the man was gone. I was confused, but didn´t have much time to wonder as I took off to meet the volunteers. I picked them up at the place where they were staying, we packed in the vehicle, and headed off to do school registrations. The first house we visited was overcrowded with the family itself and neighbors. During our visit, I was asked to move my vehicle from in front of the house to let other cars pass. I parked it around the corner and this time deliberately left my bookbag inside, thinking that in this case it would be safer locked up than on my back as I would likely take it off at some point and could forget it somewhere. I was sure that the vehicle was locked before returning to the house.

We spent about two or three hours in this community before packing back in and heading out. All volunteers were in good spirits as we left and wanted to stop by a store to get some snacks. I dropped them off and ran some errands as they shopped. After they hopped out of the car, I felt the urge to check my book bag and verify that the laptop was there. It was not. I didn’t want their good moods to be spoiled or their impression of the country and its residents to be harmed so I kept quiet. Later I told Kristin, who was leading the trip and translating and has been through many such situations with me here before…

Stay tuned for Part II next week!

Caitlin McHale is currently living in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic as the co-founder and executive director of Project Esperanza.

When asked this question, I always replied that I planned on giving normal birth. The women then almost always replied in protest, seemingly trying to influence me against it. I now am in the last days and weeks of my second pregnancy. I am finding that people are asking me a different question this time, yet again everyone seems to say the same thing.

Photo taken by volunteer Elshi Zenaye.

Knowing or observing that our first child is a boy, they ask if I am pregnant with a girl. Many assume it’s a girl and simply signal to my large stomach and ask, “Girl?” When I say yes, everyone says, “Oh, great! Now you’ll have a pair. After that you’re done?” Some people say that last phrase in a declarative and almost command form, while others ask it as a question, but still in a manner that you know they already believe in one correct answer. Additionally, some people ask if I will have them operate on me after having the second child. I always reply letting people know that I don’t know how many children we will have, and no I do not plan on getting a hysterectomy. They normally reply then with the pressuring advice to be sure to just have two children. The situation is too difficult, kids are so much work, have your two kids and get that out of the way, etc. I then try to just change the subject or get away from the person.

I feel like this is an example of reproductive freedom gone overboard. I have heard of reproductive freedom always referred to educating women about birth control and family planning, and creating easy access to birth control so that women don’t have more children than they can care for. I believe abortion also enters into this topic, although I haven’t heard of that in reference to the developing world. Perhaps the complete definition of reproductive freedom is not necessarily aimed to limit and reduce the number of births, but that is the sense I have always heard it used in.

But with this situation, I feel like my reproductive freedom is being violated in the opposite way as people are trying to pressure me into having a limit of two children. I honestly don’t appreciate it as I have always desired a large family.

Another comment I hear often that is quite bothersome is the disbelief (from people who don’t know us) that Ilayas is my biological son. People act like they have never seen a biracial child before. I often have people pretty much argue with me, trying to get me to admit that he is not my biological son. I try to be patient but end up expressing a little anger by the end of the conversation, especially if the person is persistent.

There are some aspects about living in a community that is quite open with people living within close quarters of one another and commenting on each other’s lives that I absolutely love! But there are times when I just want to say, “Mind your own business!” Nontheless, I have to admit that for me, the pros do weigh out the cons and when it comes down to it, I enjoy this sort of community life.

Caitlin McHale is currently living in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic as the co-founder and executive director of Project Esperanza.

The frequency of high blood pressure, specifically among women, is a little easier to understand. Many women living in extreme poverty seem top have little else to take pleasure in other than preparing, eating, and sharing food. They often cook with lots of oil and salt. Exercise is not really a part of their culture but they more so think to conserve energy and stay out of the sun. They see the hard toll that is taken on the bodies of construction workers and associate exercise with excess, back-breaking labor.

Project Esperanza boys pose with their soda at the end of season soccer party. December 2011.

As far as the prevalence of diabetes, I have observed that I have a heightened desire to drink soda while living in this country, and other expats have shared the same observations. I think it has something to do with the heat, sweating, and the consequential loss of sodium, although I am not sure. Most people living in extreme poverty purchase food at a small neighborhood grocery store called a colmado. As far as sweet products are concerned, colmados always sell juices, sodas, and varieties of candy.

Colmados are less likely to sell fresh fruits, possibly because they are perishable and if they don’t sell quickly, the store will lose money. I would say that the presence of fresh fruits for sale in colmados is directly related to the level of poverty of the neighborhood with the poorest neighborhoods being the least likely to sell fresh fruits.

I personally find that fresh fruits and natural fruit juices satisfy the same desire as soda but more fruit or juice is needed to do so. Washing, peeling, and cutting fruit is a lot less convenient than drinking a soda, especially when running water is only available one day a week, as is the case in our community. Access to a refrigerator also makes a big difference in this situation. I have not done any research yet to read any potential theories behind the prevalence of diabetes among the lower class here, but am just sharing my personal observations through living in the same or comparable situations.

Finally, many times people who don’t have money to buy meat or other foods that would normally accompany rice get used to preparing heaping servings of white rice to satisfy their hunger. White rice can be mixed with a little pasta or with beans if money is available. I assume that this 100% carbohydrate meal (in the absence of beans) could contribute to diabetes as well because of all of the simple sugars that carbs are composed of. I know of many Haitians who, for their lunch during a day of work, buy a packet of powdered juice, ice, and a few pieces of white bread. Wheat bread can be found in bakeries and supermarkets but you hardly ever find it in colmados. This quick and simple meal doesn’t require the time, energy, effort, or money that bending over a charcoal stove for hours does, but likely causes one’s health to deteriorate over the long run.

With the high amount of men who come to the Dominican Republic in search of work without wives, mothers, or anyone to cook for them during their search or work days, the challenges and threats to their lives are anything but few.

Caitlin McHale is currently living in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic as the co-founder and executive director of Project Esperanza.