It was a hot day in the Dominican Republic was not only eye opening, but also full of fun and love. The day started when we left the hotel and got onto a bus to go to the Manny Mota Foundation. At the foundation there weren’t as many kids as I had expected at first, only a few playing baseball and three little girls sitting on the cement watching them. I first talked to a girl who was 7 years old. We talked for a little bit, though it was hard because we didn’t speak the same language. Soon many more young girls came and we sat under a tree on the field and painted nails and played game like tag and Frisbee. In a mere 20 minutes I had girls trying to talk to me in English, and helping me with my Spanish. Their loving attitudes diminished the fact that we were from to completely different worlds. After food was done being served we ran to the top of the hills where the girls began to yell “Americanos! Americanos!” we gave them piggyback rides and they painted our nails. I began to talk to a few girls whom were in their pre teens. One braided my hair and the other painted my nails… along with some of the boy’s nails.
After a few hours spent there it felt like we were all close friends. We then went to the cage and grabbed boxes to take to people who live in the canyon letting them know we willbe here for a week. Walking in their neighborhood was so different than what I expected. In the middle of the street a stream sat with milky white water along with trash and a horrible scent. Walking with a group of people small children would follow us or take our hands and jump on our backs. We soon had doubled in size and it was heart breaking when we had to tell them we had no more bags of goodies or candy left. Yet their faces didn’t fill will ungratefulness or greed. They asked because the truly needed our help. And wen we declined with no more donations left for the day they still clung to our hands and backs simply glad that stranger whom they owed nothing to were there. It was strange to see people who had so little give so much just in their attitude. Where as I see people in the USA who have just about everything in the world who still ask for more or don’t treat people like people. Just the first day, and I thought I came here to help them, but they’ve already given me more than I have given them.
-Julia Argueta (13)
