Lydia Project

A note from our team leader sent to all our friends:

The DR experience included some very difficult moments, which shattered our Western perceptions and caused us to resolve to live more purposefully.   After visiting a shanty home of a couple in Aguas Negras, a slum by a major river out of sight of the tourist districts of Puerto  Plata, a seed was planted in the hearts of a couple of students.

Lydia had generously welcomed all 18 of us into her claustrophobic shanty,  bubbling with pride about her children,  showing us water stained photos.  She seemed almost oblivious to the shambles of upturned furniture and clothing draped everywhere because she had become almost accustomed to constantly trying to dry out all her things since the rain always pours through the rusted out tin roof and often a flood of garbage-strewn water washes through her home since it is so close to the river.  The place was so musty and dilapidated that their children had to move elsewhere. Two days later two team members we engaged in conversation on the safari bus and one of them said, “Wouldn’t be cool if we could build a home for Lydia’s family?”  The other one said, “Why not; we could at least raise the funds!”  The idea was pitched, we did a bit of research, and the team immediately committed to it.  The family would be able to be reunited in a dry and secure larger home (small to our standards) possibly even by this summer!  The $6000 USD required for raising and rebuilding in Aguas Negras translates into about $8500 Cdn, but after counting some of the additional funds some team members had already raised, and then pooling our extra spending money in the plane on the way back (our flight attendant even contributed!)  and NEXO (www.nexo.ca) putting their surplus from our food and transportation budget into the pot, we already had a quarter of the funds raised before we landed!

We would love it if you could support this project with us and help see it through!
If you are interested in helping us raise the funds for Lydia please drop me an email and I will be more then happy to connect you.