Dominican Republic Debriefing Update


During their final days in community, the Volunteers have been wrapping up their small community projects along with their summer camps for young children. All of the Volunteers and have done a great job in their towns, and Project Staff are very proud of them. Community members have enjoyed being involved in the process, and the Volunteers have gotten a lot out of the experience of working with the youth groups. All Volunteers and youth counterparts will walk away from the summer with a better understanding of youth leadership and community development.

On the morning of Aug. 13, the Volunteers will leave their communities for debriefing. With community members, they will attend a despedida, or going-away party, organized by AMIGOS to give everyone one final opportunity to have fun together and say goodbye. After the party, Project Staff and Volunteers will all go to a hotel in Boca Chica, a beach area outside of Santo Domingo where debriefing activities will be held. Those activities will address cultural adjustment when returning home, how to stay involved with AMIGOS, and final evaluations of the projects, among other things.  Along with some time to buy souvenirs, the Volunteers will have free time to talk to one another and reflect on their summers. Early on the morning of the Aug. 15, they will be loaded up in buses to head to the airport where Project Staff will bid them farewell.
AMIGOS Voices

“I think I speak for nearly all Volunteers by saying that “doing AMIGOS” is just another way to say that we discover new homes and new families. To be accepted in another part of the world, and to speak the common language of community, is perhaps one of the greatest blessings that anyone could wish for oneself.”

–Veteran Volunteer