Take a Peek Inside Homestays in Rural Dominican Republic

By -

Drying coffee beans around Zeneida and Rafael's house.
As you can imagine, some of our assignments take place in very vulnerable communities: rural settlements that are far away from large cities and mechanized agricultural processes. This is exactly the case of the community of Sabaneta, in the heart of the Central Mountain range of the Dominican Republic. The Sabaneta women’s club, formed by 12 female farmers has already received three volunteers that focused on strawberry production, value-added products and agro/ecotourism. Being four hours away from the capital, Santo Domingo, and only reachable by 4x4 vehicles, the volunteers that participate in Sabaneta’s Adventure are able to enjoy one of the most special parts of volunteering: Homestays.

Rafael is ready for a real Dominican lunch
Volunteers stay at Zeneida and Rafael’s house, a beautiful couple that have lived their entire life in the town, and that are always up for improving the community’s quality of life. Their coffee crops are their livelihood, with some guided tours to Pico Duarte, the highest mountain in the country.


“My host family was so gracious and thoughtful --- they are just a wonderful loving couple --- singing as they worked. Both husband and wife helping with not just the work, but with household chores together as well and when the day was done. I would watch the wife sit in her husband’s lap and chat with us about the day --- a real difference from the stressed-out couples trying to climb the corporate ladder in the US. They may seem poor to us monetarily, but they are far wealthier than us in quality of life and happiness.”
-Volunteer Darren Schmall, Agri/Ecotourism Assignment. November 2019

A Dominican woodstove also called "fogón"

Homestay assignments really allow the volunteers to relish in the complete rural experience: waking up and going to sleep with the sun, limited phone and internet access, enjoying cups of freshly toasted coffee while admiring beautiful views right from the doorstep, and authentic Dominican food cooked in wood stoves.

“They have been wonderful hosts and shared many of their ideas and challenges. Their home was comfortable, the food was plentiful and delicious, and they were always happy to provide answers to my questions. I have traveled to many countries around the world and have never felt as welcomed, accepted and appreciated as I have felt in the mountain community of Sabaneta. My only hope is that they learned as much from me, as I learned from them!” – Darren Schmall


Kate Penhallegon, one of our volunteers, wrote this poem about the community of Sabaneta in October 2019:

On the road to Sabaneta
A twisting winding road
We saw guava, lime and coffee trees
Then we hit a hole

Our heads went up, our truck went down
Then we spun all around
On the road to Sabaneta

A ten-mile trip, a one-hour ride
With mountains so high
We went to four-wheel drive and
tried to miss that hole…. but

Our heads went up, our truck went down
And we spun all around
The entrance to Zeneida and Rafael's house on a foggy day 
On the road to Sabaneta

The view was grand, the people few
We felt the peace
And before we knew,
Another darn hole

Our heads went up, our truck went down
And we spun all around
On the road to Sabaneta

When I dream, I'm on that mountain
Hanging with those people
They stole my heart in Sabaneta.

What holes?

We really think these rhymes describe the experience, don’t you?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Better Marketing and Communications to Showcase the Work of our Hosts in Colombia

By -
Image
Salva Terra Foundation has focused on supporting vulnerable communities through sustainable agriculture. They work with impoverished populations and victims of violence in Medellin and aim to promote farming and develop local skills to work in the agricultural industry in an ecological manner. This process of bringing together concepts such as social impact, sustainable development, environmental protection, and food security requires excellent outreach and promotion. Therefore, they requested a F2F volunteer to help them develop a communication and marketing plan. The chosen volunteer for this assignment was Dr. Sindy Chapa. She has a B.A. in Mass Media Communications, with a Minor in Television and Art Design, an MBA, and Ph.D. in International Business/Marketing. She is the Director and Associate Professor at the Center for Hispanic Marketing Communication at Florida State University and has won several communications awards. Dr. Chapa decided to use Salva Terra as one of the case ...
Read more

Digital Marketing in Colombia

By -
Image
Digital Marketing is one way that entrepreneurs and producers across the globe can reach new markets and increase sales. But what is digital marketing and how can a small Colombian business use it to maximize the number of people who come across its brand? These are the questions that Zen Naturals was asking itself. Zen Naturals is a natural cosmetic manufacturing company based in Cali, Colombia. Zen Naturals develops natural cosmetics made from exotic ingredients from Colombia’s outstanding biodiversity. Through ethical manufacturing and fair trade practices, they are also taking a leadership role in re-investing in the communities that grow the ingredients used in their products. Currently, Zen Naturals supports more than 95 Colombian quinoa farming communities through Fair-Trade Practices and technical assistance on their production. Zen Naturals is preparing to launch their quinoa facial care products in Whole Foods Markets in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. in 2017....
Read more

Supporting Anti-Child Labor Projects in Ecuador and Panama

By -
Image
EducaFuturo is a program currently being implemented by Partners of the Americas in Ecuador and Panama. Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), EducaFuturo seeks to combat child labor in both countries through educational programs, vocational training, and livelihood services. F2F has partnered with EducaFuturo on numerous occasions over the past 5 years, sending 7 volunteers to support their efforts in improving the educational outcomes of youth involved in child labor, while also increasing the income opportunities of households to reduce reliance on child labor. Volunteers have provided training on a range of topics, including sustainable production practices, processing, business management, and marketing. In January 2016, F2F volunteer Carmen Pacheco-Borden traveled to Panama to work with native Ngabe-Bugle women’s groups in the tomato farming communities of Hato Chami and Boca de Monte to make value-added products from their harvests and consequently increase their hous...
Read more