Dominican Republic and a Humanitarian project

For the past 13 years, I have been longing to go back to where I spent 2 years as a missionary for the LDS church. Just over 3 years ago I became a charter member of a new Rotary international group here in Logan. After serving a stint as the club's president, I began to develop an interest in doing an international humanitarian project. Well what a better place than the DR! Over the past year I have been in communication with a few Rotarians in the DR and in New York. Its funny that while I was there, I was so engrossed in the culture that I don't really think I realized just how poor the conditions were.



We as Americans are so blessed, we truly are. We have nice houses, nice cars, running water, electricity whenever we turn the switch on. Yet there are so many of God's children not so blessed. In the northern area of the DR near the town of Santiago (and the same could be said of many of the pueblos in the DR and other countries) there are people living in the most impoverished conditions. The houses are constructed out of twigs and spare metal. They don't have running water, no bathrooms, no clean water. That is where I, along with my rotary club are going to begin to make a difference.

A Rotary club in Santiago, Dominican Republic formed a project and they are going to build 65 latrines (outhouses) so that every house in community of Los Higos will have a bathroom and a hand cleaning station. Check out some of these pictures:















The first picture is the old Latrine and then the new latrine. In February or March of 2010 a group of Rotarians from Logan will be going here and building these latrines. Can you believe that $250 pays for a new latrine. How many times do we as Americans go to the store and spend $250? Almost everytime I go to Sam's club or the grocery store I spend that much.

Today I gave a presentation to my club and afterword on the table, was a check for $250 from one of our members. I seriously teared up. I have had the opportunity to go to Mexico a couple times on vacation, and while I enjoyed it, I look forward to going with my wife and actually helping people have a place to use the rest room, a place to wash thier hands. I love Rotary because it gives me opportunity to help those less fortunate. You know you can too...if you want to help donate to the cause let me know and I can give you the address to our Rotary club and you can make a donation. Can you imagine how much good we can all do if each one of us, donates $10 and then invites our friends or neighbors to do the same. The world really could be a better place!