In Our Village. La Loma, Dominican Republic. Edited by Christie Pickeral

Transcription

1 In Our Village La Loma, Dominican Republic A P r o j e c t o f t h e D i o c e s e o f O r l a n d o M i s s i o n O f f i c e a n d Va l e n c i a C o m m u n i t y C o l l e g e Edited by Christie Pickeral

2

3 In Our Village La Loma, Dominican Republic A Project of the Diocese of Orlando Mission Office and Valencia Community College Written by Valencia Community College students: Luis Burbano Andrea Calrson Georges Desliens Ramon Hernandez Vanessa Hornedo Stacy Knighton Zarena Leblanc Andres Lopez Carol SanMiguel Brittany Torres Edited by Christie Pickeral

4 Copyright 2010 by Diocese of Orlando P.O. Box 1800 Orlando, FL All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be reproduced, in any form, without written permission from the Diocese of Orlando. ISBN

5 Dedication: To the people of La Loma, because your story is worth sharing and your hearts are worth knowing. To Sister Bernadette Mackay, O.S.U. for your dedication to the people in La Loma, and your vision of empowerment.

6

7 Table of Contents Welcome Gracias a Dios Water is Life Here s to Our Health One Meal, One Family Mi Casa es Su Casa Labor of Love at Home Let s Go Shopping Would You Like Some Coffee? Farming, A Way of Life Getting Around More than Words Move to the Music Craft with a Purpose Simple Fun Education Awakens Dreams Dreams for the Future Acknowledgements

8

9 Welcome Bienvenidos to La Loma High in the Cordillera Central Mountains of the Dominican Republic near the border of Haiti is a conclave of five communities: La Cucarita, Los Frios, Los Guayuyos, El Montozo, and El Recodo, collectively known as La Loma (The Hill). The ancestors of the residents had moved as individuals to these mountains to escape the tyranny of the dictator Rafael Trujillo in the 1930 s. These individuals eventually gathered together to form the communities that exist today. Because of the distance from the city, the people of these communities felt that no one knew they existed. They were forgotten in part because La Loma is difficult to access. It is accessible by a threehour truck ride or an even longer mule or motorbike ride up and around steep mountain roads, which are nothing more than rock, dirt, and gravel paths that have been eroded away by the torrential afternoon rains. Although the people of these communities may have felt isolated in the mountains, they would not feel that way for long. W e l c o m e 1

10 2 I N O U R V I L L A G E

11 The Catholic Diocese of Orlando entered into a covenant relationship with the Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana in 1983 to help the people of the mountains in the Dominican Republic. In 2003, the Diocese of Orlando went to the area of La Loma and began to change lives. They supplied water filtration systems, provided the opportunity for people to build sturdier homes and schools, and trained people to teach and be health care providers. Although living in La Loma was still difficult, life had improved for the people in the mountains thanks to the Diocese partnership. In the summer of 2009, the Catholic Diocese partnered with Valencia Community College for a service learning project. From August 8 to August 16, 2009, a team of ten Valencia Community College students and three professors went to La Loma to learn about the people in the villages. Each day, the team interacted with community members to understand their daily lives and to discover the underlying significance of being a part of a mountain community. They listened carefully as the young and old told their stories in order to be able to retell their stories and be the voice for the people of the La Loma through this book. When the communities first heard about the idea of this book, they simply asked, Why? The people of La Loma did not believe their lives were worth filling the pages of a book or that anybody would want to read about them. After meeting the people of La Loma, the Valencia team wondered how anyone would not want to know about their lives. Now is time for the world to know their stories. W e l c o m e 3

12 The Valencia team served as mere translators in retelling the stories; however, they often contrasted what they saw and heard in La Loma to life in the United States. They share those observations with you, the reader, at the beginning of each chapter. The American students will never be able to walk in the shoes of the people of La Loma; all outsiders can do is walk beside the people of the village and enjoy the beauty of simple living and the power in community. Before the Valencia team arrived, thirty children from the villages were trained by a volunteer to use digital cameras, donated for this project. They learned about lighting, camera angles, and photo composition so that they would be able to capture their way of life in their photos. The children took numerous meaningful photos, and their pictures are the heart of this book. The cover photo is a typical scene in La Loma. As the boys journey down the path of the mountains, the life of the people here has also been a journey. In the years since the Diocese of Orlando has been in La Loma, the quality of life has improved. As the people of La Lome move forward, they know they are not alone or forgotten. The Valencia team now invites you, the reader, to be a part of the journey of La Loma. 4 I N O U R V I L L A G E