2020 Supporters Trip
Barahona, Dominican Republic
Visit the Barahona, Dominican Republic Summer Immersion Project this June!
This 2020 Supporters Trip will experience this vibrant country and see AMIGOS in action. The trip will be led by Sara Nathan, AMIGOS President & CEO.
Barahona means the “the Caribbean’s Bride” and was founded in 1802 by the Haitian general Toussaint Louverture. Barahona is a port city and the local economy relies heavily on agriculture. Eco-tourism is a growing industry due to the abundance of natural attractions.
Our local partner, Plan International Dominican Republic (Plan), is focused on ending child marriage, teenage pregnancy, and the violence that affects girls and young women. AMIGOS and Plan work together to address gender equality through the medium of sports.
See the Dominican Republic through the eyes of a past volunteer here:
On the trip, you will visit volunteers in their host communities, build relationships with our partner agency Plan, learn firsthand about AMIGOS from the project staff, and immerse yourself in the daily life of the Barahona culture. And finally, you will cheer on your favorite community team at a sports tournament organized by the volunteers and their local youth counterparts!
We hope that this visit will foster your continued engagement and support of the AMIGOS mission.
Dates: Wednesday, June 24–Sunday, June 28, 2020
Please note that this is a tentative agenda. Activities may still be adjusted and a final agenda will be sent closer to the trip date. If attendees would like to stay in the Dominican Republic for an extended personal trip, we are happy to help you consider further travel logistics.
Preliminary Trip Agenda:
Wednesday, June 24
Thursday, June 25
Friday, June 26
Saturday, June 27
Sunday, June 28
Price:
$2,400 for single room
$2,200 for a shared room
A formal registration form and invoice will be spent to attendees at a later date.
*Attendees are responsible for purchasing airfare. All other trip expenses are included.
A group of approximately 20 attendees will be led by Sara Nathan and members of our Programs Team.
AMIGOS has worked in the Dominican Republic since 1977. We began our work in Santo Domingo focusing on immunization programs with the Dominican Ministry of Health. In 1983, we collaborated with the Oficina de Desarrollo Comunitario (ODC) on latrine, stove, and home improvement projects in Dajabón. From 1993–1999, we worked with FUDECO in Las Matas de Farfán. From 2000–2002 we started a second project in Neiba partnering with Visión Mundial.
In 2003, AMIGOS opened a six-week project in San Juan working with Plan International (Plan), our current partner agency. The project was a huge success. In 2019, the project was moved to Barahona. This year will be the 16th summer working in partnership with Plan in the DR.
See more from the Dominican Republic on our Field Notes Blog.
Hear from alumni about their experiences in the DR.
The idea to organize Supporters Trips came from AMIGOS board members who wanted to offer valued stakeholders the opportunity to reconnect with AMIGOS in the field today.
The first AMIGOS Supporters Trip in 2018 visited Chimborazo, Ecuador. In 2019, a group visited Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica. We are excited to highlight the Dominican Republic in 2020!
Participating in the 2018 AMIGOS Ecuador Supporters Trip was the highlight of our year! We made many new friends and had a great time! We received lots of background information and helpful assistance in planning our journey from AMIGOS in Houston. BTW, the hotels, excursions and group dining were all first-rate! In Ecuador, it was very informative to listen to a presentation by the host partner, PLAN. This gave us context for our visit to the Ecuadorian AMIGOS communities. We met with the AMIGOS volunteers living in various mountain settings, attended an encuentro (a one-day reunion for the AMIGOS volunteers throughout the region) and met with the in-country staff. It was amazing to see the great work being done by a new generation of AMIGOS and fantastic to be reunited with AMIGOS alumni whom we will now continue to remain in contact.
– Peter (’67, ’68, ’69) and Margie Benziger
It was an amazing trip from start to finish. We gained insight into the Tica culture and the work that AMIGOS and Casa de la Juventud are ably doing in Costa Rica. As well as renewing friendships and making new ones within our group we enjoyed making other acquaintances during our travels, including the CASA team, family coffee producers, local AMIGOS families and supporters, park rangers, and whale watch entrepreneurs. Most of all we enjoyed our group conversations about AMIGOS past, present, and future and the richness of the discussion by our passionate group members. You are very special people and give us faith that AMIGOS will be alive and well in the future.
-Lisa and Milt Roney (DC Chapter and AMIGOS Parents)
