Testimonial by Sophie Clifford, June 2005

I came to Cabarete with a strong desire to learn all there was to learn about the Dominican culture and pass on what I could to the children. Four months later, I leave Cabarete with the conviction that there is no better way to understand a community than to live and volunteer in it, and taking away precious memories of teaching in this environment.

Teaching in the school can be described as a rewarding challenge. The environment is challenging, as can be the children and the teachers. When my co-volunteer and I arrived in the school, we were taken aback by the way things were in the school. Classes seemed chaotic and break time can seem to be a war zone. But then, it is that difference with my normal environment, which made the experience all the more memorable. I had to first understand how things worked here, develop relationships with the teachers and the children and then seek to make a contribution.

Our contribution was to teach literacy and English in the school. The resourcefulness of the Dominicans is an admirable quality we tried to emulate. So in true Dominican style, despite our lack of training, we did the best we could with what we had. I had been warned on arrival that there would be days you would leave school wondering what was the point of being there. And there were some of those days. But what I am sure I will remember, and miss much more is the incredible affection of the students. Some children clearly come from difficult homes, where little attention and encouragement is given to them. It was a real pleasure, and privilege, to be able to give them a support they might be lacking. And then there were the occasional breakthroughs, when I felt a student had learnt something he would not otherwise have done had I not been there.

The whole experience has left me more committed to continue volunteering whenever and wherever possible, even if it is at home and not in a developing country.