Perspective is Key-Things May Not Always Be As They Seem and Sometimes Perspectives Change.
It’s been a week since we arrived in Santo Domingo and WOW we have seen so much. Our group spans a period of 25 plus years and this week, through conversation and shared experiences, we found out while we had differences we also had many similarities. Our perspectives were not always the same but they were appreciated and respected.
Our topics of conversation included MONEY – COLORISM – FOOD – FAMILY – TRANSPORTATION – HEALTHCARE& ACCESS – THE BARIOS & OUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE DOMINICAN VS DOMINICAN HAITIAN DIFFERENCE!!!
In Santo Domingo one of the first things we noticed was the exchange booths. As you prepare to leave the airport….you have two booths to welcome you into this beautiful place…..one offers 50 pesos for every dollar and the other 42 pesos…. (converting $100 USD can either be 5000 pesos or 4200 pesos…..well..that may not seem like a lot so why offer to conversions……our favorite answer….it depends……it depends on how much time you are willing to spend waiting….if you want more bang for your buck you have to be PATIENT because getting 50 pesos per dollar will require that you wait in line on the one attendant while the other booth – who cuts your exchange to 42 pesos has three attendants that will gladly take your money….Lesson One—Be Patient or be willing to walk a little further to find another exchange booth hiding just past the ramp who also converts at 50 pesos for every dollar and will gladly help you….LOL….and that was our first lesson in the Dominican Republic…The Hustle!
Lesson 2 Do not assume that what you think it takes to be happy is what it takes for everyone. The people, on arrival and during some of our day to day visits to various places, laugh–they smile–they live. They are accustomed to living just the way they live and what we perceive is important may or may not be important to them. One of the things I noticed that struck me as odd was ALL the trash in and around the city. Trash – Trash everywhere….and I do mean everywhere. It was on the sidewalk, it was in the street, it was along the shore line of the beach, it was in the water of the ocean. It was everywhere and the people seemed to completely ignore it. So I asked my host mom if the trash bothered her and she said—“No–the trash is not a big deal–the real issue here in Santo Domingo is SAFETY. Be careful when you walk down the street and do not talk on your phone-it will be snatched from your hand” — “that’s the issue here to me–it is not the trash”. It made me think! Santo Domingo has a different method of trash pick up that did not appear to be the same as what I had seen in the U.S. –I eventually saw two different types of trash trucks so they do have a form of trash pick up—it was just different. My lesson was to remember the first lesson— Patience!
Hard Worker or Nuisance — Feeding His Family or Begging???
Lesson 3 Colorism is real and Santo Domingo offers MANY examples!! There really isn’t enough time to fully share my thoughts but those of us who have experienced it, who have seen it can understand the lasting impact of its ugliness. The idea that people truly believe skin complexion makes you better than another is a learned behavior. I was sad to see it walking down the street, in a children’s home and sitting in a few eating places. Here in the DR just as in America, skin color & hair texture holds a place that gives some access and some no access. The most disturbing thing was seeing a book for children with black face in a children’s home and then listening to the tour guide / representative explain (while whispering in a soft voice) how their “dark children don’t like to be called black” and then explaining ” they don’t teach them about multiple shades just black and white….hmmmm…..what a odd thing to say if your goal is to truly inspire and empower them surround them with positive images everywhere they look. Several of us (my classmates) noticed the dolls–there were none of brown complexion. I couldn’t help but reflect on my own 20 year old daughter’s life–she has never owned a doll that didn’t look like her. My desire after that experience was to find a store and a toy section to buy some brown dolls but guess what we only found 1. That was challenging for me. All the way out at Algora Mall–on the bottom shelf pushed to the back in a torn box. Hmmmm… let that sink in! The price was lower than the white version of the same doll which sparked an interesting conversation between my classmates and I so we bought them both. Neither doll had hair for a little girl to play with and had a minimal amount of clothes included in the box but maybe the children would appreciate the donation!!!!
Lesson 4 The food in the Dominican Republic was good but also often to heavy for me to eat. The street vendors could be seen selling chicken, beef, pork, rice, breads, fruits and plenty of water. During our visit to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) we learned the country suffers from similar diseases as in the United States (US) such as heart disease and diabetes. PAHO makes recommendations to the ministry of Health is to provide the tools for change but there doesn’t seem to be mandated enforcement. It may take years before the people there are notable changes in death rates from preventable diseases. My lesson while in the Dominican Republic, control my own intake, drink plenty of water and take some time to walk along the shore for exercise as I discovered a lot of Dominicans do early in the morning!
Our Host Mom is an excellent cook!
Our Host Mom is an excellent cook!
Lesson 5 My most difficult and emotional lesson thus far. Women’s health issues here in the DR are very similar to women’s health issues in the US. There are issues with teen pregnancy, maternal and child death and death from preventable illness but those health issues don’t seem to be a priority to me. We were told on our PAHO visit that here in the DR, women are encouraged to have c-sections. We were told c-sections are more convenient for the doctor and women ask for c-sections. As a nurse I fully understand the risks of having caesarean sections. I have seen women die from complications from infected wounds. Their death is slow, long and painful. To hear more was not being done to mandate physicians to educate their patients and increase their vaginal birth deliveries was difficult for me especially after learning the Dominican Republic world ranking is high in maternal & infant death with 90 women per 100,000 dying as compared to between 43 and 67 per 100, 000 women in Georgia. According to Maternal and Child Health Integrated Program (MCHIP), infant mortality rates are 31/1000 live births, 1/10 infants are born premature and 1200 newborns die from complications each year. My lesson was coming to terms with my belief that not enough is being done is just that, my belief. I believe there should be more Registered Nurses working in the Dominican Republic as that might increase advocacy and change the bottom line from green to red.
I tried to get Pounce to offer an opinion but he didn’t have anything to say…..
…..but he sure wanted to go everywhere!!
Well–my perspective is one of many. I see many things that could be better and in time they will!
It has not been all wonderful —the heat had our feet swollen and some of us got sick but it has all been good. One more week here in Santo Domingo then on to the next city–I hope for the best!! May it make me better in the long run!
Stephanie T