Public Health in the Caribbean

Depart the United States for Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Your Rustic Pathways staff will greet you upon arrival and take you to the nearby hotel for the night to get some sleep before the real adventure begins.

After breakfast, your group will receive an introduction to your program, and go over some of the major public health topics you will learn about in the next two weeks. Here you will also learn about public health initiatives that are taking place in the capital. The Dominican Republic has some of the greatest disparities between rich and poor in the region; these disparities can be seen very clearly in Santo Domingo, which is one of the largest cities in the Caribbean.

You will then hear from some resident experts how the health care system works in the Dominican Republic and introduce you to some of the biggest health problems the country is facing, visiting both public and private health facilities in addition to visiting NGOs (non-governmental organizations). In the evenings, watch a documentary and have group discussions about public health in Latin America to contextualize your experience and prepare for your community service projects. At the end of Day 3, you will travel east to the province of San Pedro, where you will begin community service and your first aid training.

Today you will learn more about the communities where you will be working. Spend today working on infrastructure projects focused on improving sanitation in batey communities in the area. You will have a chance to speak with local members about some of the most pressing issues for them and their families. Have dinner at the base house and prepare to begin two full days of Wilderness First Aid training in the morning.

Today, you will officially begin your Wilderness First Aid and CPR training. Our expert medical staff will provide you with the information you need to develop your skills in first aid, CPR, and emergency response. Spend a full two days training in situation assessment, determining appropriate response in an emergency, providing basic first aid and CPR, and caring for wounds. You’ll take some time while not in a classroom setting to get to know the communities you’ll be serving, including a visit a local government-operated health care center in the batey. You will have the chance to learn about some of the health issues faced in a rural context.

Spend the morning wrapping up your WFA and CPR training before heading out to a well-deserved day of fun. Spend the day swimming in the serene Caribbean waters and soaking in the sun on the beach. After a full day at the beach, head back to your base in the province of San Pedro. This province is home to los bateyes, communities of sugar cane workers, who have some of the lowest standards of living in the country and are often unable to access health care and education due to their documentation status. Spend the evening watching a film and having a discussion that will give you some background on the situation in this part of the island, and then get a good night’s sleep before you continue community service in the morning.

After three days of invigorating learning, look forward to giving back. You will make progress on much needed infrastructure projects that will improve sanitation and living conditions for people living in underserved areas. After breakfast each day, you’ll head into our partner communities to work on sanitation-related construction projects. You’ll break for lunch and then continue working hard in the afternoon. See how these basic necessities drastically impact health and some of the major challenges facing a rural agricultural community.

Health Camp! You will use what you have learned in your certification and during your time visiting health professionals to provide health workshops to local school children. You’ll get to teach various important subjects such as sanitation and healthy living habits. You will also learn more about the process of producing sugar, including what a typical day looks like for a bracero, or cane cutter. You’ll even get to try some freshly cut sugar cane, which is one of the foods that sustain many braceros on their long days of work. After your final day of workshops, say your last goodbyes as you pack for the beach in the evening.

Take a break from service and spend the last two days enjoying the Dominican coast. Travel to the beautiful, peninsular province of Samaná to wrap up your program. Enjoy the stunning views and discuss what you’ve learned over the last two weeks. You’ll have a much greater understanding of global health challenges now that you’ve seen some of the realities on the ground in the Dominican context.

Head back to the capital for a tour of the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is home to the first university, cathedral and hospital in the Americas. Take a tour of the walled city and learn about the deep history of the first European settlement in the Americas. After touring the Colonial Zone, head over to a special dinner and dance show at a typical Dominican restaurant.

If you are heading home, you must say your last goodbyes to your new friends and head off to the airport bright and early in the morning. If you are heading off to another Rustic Pathways program in Latin America, get ready for more adventure!