Life in the Dominican Republic

Two pre-teen girls wearing matching blue shirts stand at an iron grate door holding a Dominican flag.
The team was greeted at the door by girls holding the Dominican flag and dressed in its colors. Inside, youth had prepared a worship service which included liturgical dance that spoke to issues they face as youth in the Dominican Republic.
Three teen girls and a boy line up to pass under a tree branch that grows at an angle. The branch is about rib-height and the bend backwards to clear it without touching it.
The same youth that led us in worship improvised a game of limbo during some down time at a cooking seminar.
Leave grow at the top of a tree only. Beneath the leaves, six large fruits grow in a cluster. Other green plants surround the tree.
Papayas growing.
Lush tall plants with wide palm-like leaves at top. A large cluster of green bananas is growing from the base of the leaves with a purple bulb hanging from the bottom of the cluster.
Bananas growing.
Several star-shaped fruits are growing among the thick leaves in the branches of a tree.
We got to pick and eat starfruit. It was growing on a tree at the church campground where our ovens are stored.
Pods, some of which are splitting open, abound on a leafy plant.
Our teams often realize that pastors are not paid a livable salary. They all have other work that they do. This pastor grew a lot of her own food in the parsonage yard. These are pigeon peas.
A dusty road is lined with copious plastic bags of garbage.
The sad reality is that garbage in the Dominican Republic often winds up, like this, dumped on lots in poor neighborhoods. This is why Solar Oven Partners is making an effort to reduce our waste, especially the plastic kind, which doesn’t disintegrate.
A flower-clad bush grows in front of a neatly painted modest house.
Teams often notice that residents put a great deal of effort into defying the circumstances to make their person and their homes clean and pleasant.
A plaza is adorned with sculptures made from painted water bottles. In the center is a Christmas tree.
It was the Christmas season and this park was creatively decked out with sculptures made from found objects, such as water bottles.
A cement brick balances on a beer bottle.
Someone got this brick to do this! I wonder how long it took and how long it stayed like that?
An iguana stands on the sidewalk with a wooded area behind it.
Each team takes a day off and does some sight-seeing. One team visited Lake Enriquillo, which is surrounded by iguanas, on their day off.
Cattle walk in single file along a dusty street. Homes line the street and there is a pile of garbage across the street from the cattle.
This would not have been an unusual sight in the Dakotas if it weren’t in the middle of town!
A woman reaches over a corrugated fence towards a goat on the other side.
Team member Colleen McKirdy greets the pastor’s goat before heading to the solar cooking seminar.
A rooster walks along a wooden fence top. A short distance in the background is a body of water with plants in between.
Roosters are everywhere in the Dominican Republic.
A modified motorcycle has a large trailer attached to the back.
Team members are surprised at things we see being carried on a motorcycle: a dead pig as a back passenger, large propane tanks, and yes, solar ovens! More alarming, entire families, including children, squeezed onto a seat intended for a maximum of two. This modified motorcycle appears to be used for a delivery business.
Three cynder blocks are arranged on the dirt ground with one end coming to an open circle, in which large sticks are burning. Smoke is emitted and soot covers a piece of metal just behind the fire. There are ashes on the ground, as well as a plastic tub, a glass bottle and more large sticks. People are milling in the background.
We often see cooking fires. The smoke and soot are easily visible. Think of that in the cook’s eyes and lungs!
People parade through a street with a tall building in the background. They are dressed in clothing suggestive of European royals from bygone centruries. Two of men each have a large feather in their hat. A man and a woman each are carrying a crown on a pillow which they are holding in front of their abdomens.
One team happened upon a carnival parade the night before our departure. Different characters from Dominican history and culture were in the parade.
Two women wearing long, silky red dresses and fancy hats accompany three little girls wearing white dresses and veils.
The children in a parade are always adorable.

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