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We escaped the snow in Toronto and arrived in the Dominican Republic with 30-degree weather! After a night’s rest, we woke up early and made ceramic water filters for families in the community. We learned silver was incorporated in the mixture to induce a reaction that eliminates toxic bacteria from the water.    

We immersed ourselves in the community, learning about Muñecas Limé (Dominican Faceless Dolls), a celebrated handicraft in Dominican homes, and playing baseball with the children at the local park.  

We travelled an hour outside of our base in Moca to build water tanks for rainwater harvesting systems. The work was a team effort to cut PVC pipes, glue them together, and secure them to tanks that hold rainwater. Helping to bring clean drinking water to local families was an amazing feeling. 

Each day, we enjoyed authentic Dominican food and watched the sunset. It was breathtaking, and we couldn’t get enough of the delicious plantains!   

Our group was divided into two teams, and each team built two rainwater harvesting systems for different homes in a nearby community. We used larger PVC pipes, attaching them to the roofs to collect rainwater and then connecting them to the water tanks we had built the day before. Each house was unique, presenting challenges that made the work rewarding.   

We met the families in the homes we were working on, which made our work feel even more impactful. They were incredibly welcoming and invited us into their homes as if we were family.  

It was difficult to leave, knowing we might never see them again. The connections we formed in a short amount of time were meaningful. Meeting and playing with the children was especially memorable. Even though there was a language barrier, we were still able to play with them using toys, sports, and colours, proving that communication transcends words!