In the summer of 2015 a handful of students headed out to a small community in the Dominican Republic where our coffee is grown. Altogether they raised over £450 in 1 term, but they continued to fundraise though out the year. Eventually July 2015 came around and the students set off on a trip of a life time!
Student log - 2015 Dominican Republic trip
Three days in and we've travelled 2000 miles closer to the equator, had preconceptions shattered and processed coffee from seed to mug. We've eaten in local's houses, played basketball with villagers, sung for children, and danced with their elder brothers. All this; with a backdrop of tropical rainforest, steamy river valleys and the rolling hills of the cordillera central. As we write we're heading back into the mountains to visit a local school.
We're becoming accustomed to Caribbean life. It moves at a leisurely pace; the heat takes care of that. However, our time here is passing, all too quickly. It's not helped by our inability to shake European habits. We've been busy! Since we last wrote we've; visited two schools, taught English to over a hundred Dominican pupils, drunk from coconuts, had a tour of Santa Domingo and (most poignantly) spent three days at the Dominica orphanage. We were greeted there with smiles, applause, and hugs- indescribably moving. We were nominally here to decorate two classrooms, but we left having done so much more. We've shared food with people who have nothing. We've shared conversations with people who have no English, matched by our lack of Spanish. We've shared the overwhelming passion and power of music. We've witnessed tiny orphans bellowing their thanks for freedom and for the food they were about to receive. The words inspiring, moving and emotional are all overused. In this case, they are more than justified.
"Time flies when you're having fun". Never has the proverbial adage been so true. 11 days have raced past. We've seen many places, met many people and learnt about a different culture. Through that, we’ve learnt about ourselves. We'll return with our eyes and hearts opened to the people of the Dominican Republic. Highlights? It is impossible to pick out a moment in time. What you can do is try to articulate the spirit that has been woven throughout everything we've done. Dominican's have welcomed us with flamboyance and affection. Heathfield pupils have embraced the Dominican's (often literally) and have made their teachers hugely proud. We leave the Caribbean tired, happy, having made new friends and with a treasure trove of memories that will last a lifetime.