Day 4

Victor, Miguel and Julio introducing
themselves and the mission of DPV

Today marked the beginning of our camp experience in the Dominican Republic.  The camp was led by Victor, Julio, and Miguel Angel, the three members of the Deportes Para La Vida (DPV) we have worked closely with all week. Today was our first opportunity to see the DPV members in action doing what they do best - leading community members by instilling a sense of hope, and a vision of possibilities for future success.

Our camp agenda consists of two days that focus on HIV education and prevention, followed by three days of sports camps, which we will run. In just one day, the DPV members have set an enthusiastic and committed tone for the rest of the week. Their interactive teaching methods are truly remarkable. It’s apparent that the young community members are inspired by the DPV men and look up to them as role models.

The camp began with a short quiz to test the children’s current knowledge on HIV/AIDS. The questions were directed towards common misconceptions DR residents have acquired through the community and lack of education. For example one question was, can overweight people get AIDS? The purpose of the question was to falsify the myth that only skinny people are prone to HIV/AIDS. After the quiz the children engaged in several fun games such as mi soporte (my support), decisiónes (decisions), limbo, and pass the ball. After each game the group came together to discuss the message behind each game, and the impact of decisions on their lives.

Miguel serves as a powerful role model to the
community through his leadership within DPV

Our goal was to help assist the DPV engage the children as much as possible. Although we faced a language barrier, the children welcomed us with open arms (literally). We interacted with them by participating in all the DPV games, and also had an opportunity to reach out on a more personal level by talking and playing with the children during breaks. At the end of the camp, the children will be given the same quiz they were given today. The goal is to see improvements in their scores. After last year’s instruction students improved their scores by 80%, we hope to reach similar improvements this year.

Becca Niles