Become a Global Health Volunteer in the Dominican Republic

I learned so much more than I could've ever expected to during my time at Project Restauracion! The culture, the language, medical experience, and so much more. I will forever cherish the amazing memories I made with the people of Restauracion and fellow SIHFers. FIMRC does an amazing job preparing you for your volunteer trip, and is there to help you every step of the way with any questions you might have.

Hello! My name is Zoe Gagnon and I am currently a second year pharmacy student. I began my journey with FIMRC by joining the local chapter on my campus. Traveling the world and learning about different cultures has always been a dream of mine, so when I found an organization where I could use my clinical skills to help the underserved and get to travel, I knew I had to get involved. Traveling to the Dominican Republic was the first medical relief trip I have ever taken. Before the trip I was very nervous, but strategic packing and planning helped me feel prepared for any situation. My trip was unique because our group was exposed to many different parts of the country (beach, mountains, rivers, etc.) and this really helped me gain a complete understanding of what their culture is like. My favorite experience was the mobile clinic. First, we traveled an hour in the back of a pick-up truck into the mountain. Eventually, the terrain was too rough and the truck could not drive any further. Our group then had to hike up the mountain for 3 hours until we reached to top. Once at the top, around 20 rural families resided and rarely received medical attention. With the help of a local doctor and two donkeys carrying medical supplies, our group of pharmacy students were able to set up a mobile clinic. This clinic consisted of manual blood pressure readings, doctor examinations and a small pharmacy where we could dispense medications and counsel the patients. Overall, this trip changed my life and how I view my patients here in the United States. I have a better appreciation for the things I have, but also those around me. Everyone in the Dominican Republic was so happy not by what they owned, but the relationships with their friends and family.

I spent a month at Project Restauarcion as a SIHFer. I honestly had no idea what to expect or what the conditions were like on the Haitian-DR border. I was completely taken off guard with how beautiful the region was and how friendly the locals were. I instantly made friends with my host family, neighbors, my fellow SIHFers, and even Peace Corps workers. The heat of the summer was difficult to get around, but my experience was unforgettable. We accomplished community out-reach projects focused on health and inter-personal relationships, shadowed Dominican doctors, host morning walking groups, learned about Dominican healthcare, ran blood pressure and glucose check clinics, and at home patient visits to educate hypertensive and diabetic patients. My most memorable experience was hiking to Sebastian, Haiti (a 15 mile hike). Though exhausting, I was able to witness the living conditions, daily-life, and the beautiful country-side of Haiti. There is such a great need in this region, and the people of the DR and Haiti are so friendly and grateful for what FIMRC has to offer them. This trip challenged me in ways I didn't anticipate, but I am so grateful to have been a part of Project Restauracion.

I got involved with FIMRC when I was a freshman in college and it really shaped, not only my time in college, but my future. Throughout my first two years in school, I was on the fence about joining the Peace Corps. It was something that I had wanted to do, but i was unsure of how I would handle the potentially unstructured lifestyle in a foreign country. It was my trips to the DR with FIMRC that really convinced me that Peace Corps was something that I would enjoy doing.

I had been on two previous trips with FIMRC, but DR was unique in the fact that you really get to connect with the locals due to the fact that the site is in a small town, not a large city. The work was structured so that volunteers had an opportunity to do a variety of work. Some days, I would work in the clinic. Other days, I found myself hiking around surrounding villages doing health surveys or checking on projects that had been set up by the FOM. The second year I was there, my group had the chance to do a health fair in a rural school that went incredibly!

Outside of the work, the DR is also a beautiful country with all sorts of excursions. One year I was there, my group went to a series of waterfalls. We started at the top and jumped, swam, and slid our way to the bottom. It was loads of fun. Aside from that, there are incredible beaches and an exciting night life if you want to take a day or two before or after the volunteer work.

Now, as I sit here writing this review as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Belize, I think of all that FIMRC did to help my service. While in the DR, the FOM was working on a latrine project that my group helped with. I took my knowledge from my FIMRC experience and have used it to start a latrine project of my own in the village. I also had a health fair in which I drew from my experience in the DR. Having gone on the two trips with FIMRC has allowed me to have the success that I am having today as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

I was the site intern of Project Restauración from October 2014 to March 2015—and without a doubt it was one of the most incredible half-years of my life. Not only was the staff at the site engaging, fun and incredibly helpful, but the communities of Restauración, Dominican Republic and Tilori, Haiti truly opened their arms and hearts to me. My host family, whom I lived with for the entirety of my stay, became such a huge part of my life— I am still in touch with them today through what’sapp and letters.

As the site’s Intern, and a person who loves data and research, I decided to do some research of my own in Haiti and the DR. Through FIMRC’s connections and the help of local doctors, nurses, other healthcare workers, and a lot of translators, I was able to compile data on common ailments of patients in Haiti and the DR. More specifically, I was able to understand more about the common ailments of Haitians on both the DR and Haitian side of the boarder. Many times this demographic group suffers from particularly acute health problems compounded by their poverty and precarious political situation.

When I wasn’t collecting data I was traveling with my FIMRC family to other nearby communities who need extra medical support through our mobile clinics. Sometimes the villages were close enough to take a truck ride to, other times, the location was so remote and rugged, donkeys were hired to carry our supplies and we hiked through the mountains to reach our patients. Whether near or far, we were always greeted with smiles and warm welcomes.

FIMRC also runs weekly school courses to help educate school children and teens about their personal and community health. From explaining how to maintain self-esteem and keep up good nutrition, to debunking myths about Malaria and Cholera, there were always inquisitive minds, and thought provoking questions. Though adapting to the language barriers and the different philosophies about education could sometimes be difficult, it was all SO REWARDING. I loved playing with the kids in the quart yard after class, and getting that feeling of excitement when I asked a question and everyone’s hands shoot up—they all remembered the answer. Success!

Diana (my site manager) always took time to brainstorm ideas, answer question, edit curriculums, and translate with me. Tania, and Dr. Ricardo, the two local FIMRC employees pulled me right into the swing of Restauración culture and healthcare. They both became my personal Spanish coaches (because I had arrived knowing essentially no Spanish) and it was FANTASTICO! The entire FIMRC team was amazing, and I could not have asked for a better, more rewarding experience, or a more loving community to become a part of.

I am so thankful that I got the opportunity to volunteer in Restauraciόn. I was fortunate to participate in a variety of medically-based support in the community. In Restauraciόn, I shadowed at their only hospital. The doctor was very patient and explained medical procedures to me as he was seeing the patients. One of my favorite parts was helping out with the mobile clinic. Dr. Ricardo came with us and we helped over 100 patients in one day. I also helped with the girls’ empowerment group and charla talks on diabetes, dental health, and chikinguyna (an outbreak virus spread by mosquitoes). Our talks were interactive which helped involve the children and get them excited about what we were teaching them. Since I didn’t speak Spanish, I was especially grateful of the other FIMRC staff that helped me translate throughout my stay. Playing games with the local children throughout the day was one of my fondest memories of my experience. These kids always had smiles on their faces and I loved playing games and laughing with them. Overall, the experience was beyond incredible and I value the relationships I formed and lessons I learned about others and about myself.

I had a great time in my trips to Restauracion, so much so that I went twice! The program gave me the opportunity to shadow in the local hospital and see the practice of a different doctor every morning, as well as participate in various community outreach activities throughout the week. We event spent one day going to a neighboring community in Haiti to give a short lesson to the orphan school there. My favorite part was helping operate a diabetes club, where we helped local diabetes patients monitor their disease and gave a short lesson with tips on how to improve their condition. The trip was one of my favorites, and I am so glad I went!

In the Dominican Republic, I spent most of my mornings observing in the hospital at Restauracion. This hospital was much smaller than American hospitals, and it seemed more like a small clinic or doctor’s office. For anything other than minor treatment, the doctors sent patients on to the bigger hospital an hour away in Dajabon. Many of the patients are from the DR, but there are also many who cross the border from Haiti seeking better healthcare. Last summer (2014), there were many cases of chikungunya, a mosquito-borne disease, and other routine maladies. One of my favorite parts of this program was running mobile clinics. For those, we brought Dr. Ricardo (the Dominican doctor who works with FIMRC) and medicines to isolated communities and saw nearly every member of each community. These clinics are a great way to provide care to those without much access to healthcare and to teach preventative medicine. I am particularly interested in infectious diseases, and I saw a broader variety of these diseases while running clinics. We
also taught a health class for pre-teen boys and ran a diabetes club (teaching about diabetes and its effects and then doing a blood pressure and sugar check the next morning). I felt a strong connection with the
community and efforts of FIMRC DR so returned for my fall break. Another of my favorite opportunities as a French-speaker on this trip was the opportunity to travel to and teach in Haiti. We wrote and gave a lesson plan about germs for preschoolers in Tilori, Haiti. We also visited the health center and a witch doctor’s home. Diana is a very dedicated and great leader and role model. She is great at translating and explaining everything going on. Since I was only in the DR for a little more than a week last summer, I didn't expect people to remember who I was since there are so many volunteers rotating in and out. But, everyone remembered me and was so excited to see me back in the fall! My Spanish went from nonexistent to a basic, functional level from the language immersion.
Overall, it was an amazing experience and I learned so much from going outside my comfort zone. I have a much better idea about what global health work is and what needs to be the focus, which, in my opinion, should be education and the creation of a sustainable system for the people who live there (rather than just doing things for them and then leaving).