Why You Should Volunteer in the Dominican Republic with BLUE Missions
Why You Should Volunteer in the Dominican Republic with BLUE Missions
BLUE Missions has two goals:
1. To end the water and sanitation crisis
2. To build a generation of global citizens.
Both goals are accomplished through Service Trips by connecting volunteers of all ages with impactful projects and authentic immersion. Our volunteers create lasting changes in the communities they visit, and are motivated to continue making a difference locally after they return home.
The movement was started with the hope of sharing the BLUE experience as widely as possible.
Volunteer Testimonial:
What makes BLUE different?
· Impact
Through our sanitation and water projects, volunteers on our service trips make a lasting impact on the communities they serve. Water and sanitation literally changes everything, from better school attendance to improved health.
· Immersion
Volunteers stay in churches, schools, or homes in the rural community they’re helping while serving on a BLUE Missions project. They live and work together with locals, which helps them understand their way of life on a personal level.
· Growth
Travelling abroad opens your eyes to how differently people live outside your own town or country. Service travel has the power to shift perspectives and shapes your life around giving and gratitude.
Clean Water
· Purpose: Building an aqueduct system from beginning to end, and connect the whole community to clean water.
· Working: Learning how to dig trenches using tools, gluing pipe, and constructing a water holding tank. Seeing the project through from beginning to end.
· Staying: Sleeping in the community inside a local church, school, or home. Cots are provided.
· Eating: Light breakfast, full lunch and dinner is provided for each day in the community. Typical dishes are prepared by local cooks from the community.
· Connecting: Spending a morning with a local family learning about their culture and life.
High school and university students may participate in Water Projects. We also offer one All Ages trip for people of all ages. This is a great opportunity for parents and their children to serve together.
Sanitation
· Purpose: Building ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrines for individual families to provide access to life-changing sanitation.
· Working: Mixing cement, cutting wood, and hammering in nails to build Ventilated Pit Latrines. Getting to know each family that will benefit from a bathroom and working together with them.
· Staying: Sleeping in the community inside a local church, school, or home. Cots are provided.
· Eating: Light breakfast, full lunch and dinner is provided for each day in the community. Typical dishes are prepared by local cooks from the community.
· Connecting: Spending a morning with a local family learning about their culture and life.
High school and university students may participate in Sanitation Projects.
Costs and Fees
All of our public donations are used to directly fund projects, while revenue from our trips assist us in covering the overhead expenses required to make operation viable. About 75% of trips cost is used to put on the experience for volunteers, while the rest helps in covering administration and operational costs.
All volunteers commit to meet a Community Contribution Fee requirement. It is the intention that this amount be fundraised through our online platform, but if the volunteer does not manage to raise the full amount, they will be responsible for the outstanding balance.
Safety
BLUE Missions’ number one priority is the safety of volunteers. Our U.S. and Dominican employees understand this, and work daily to ensure that the communities we work in and the projects selected exceed our safety standards. Regular risk assessments are performed on the local political situation, the location of communities and lodging facilities, and transport provided to volunteers.
Communities served are located in rural areas of the Cibao region of the Dominican Republic. Over the years, we have built strong relationships with communities and have established local water committees to ensure the security, safety and sustainability of each community prior to the volunteers arriving.
Leaders & staff:
Every trip is escorted by our BLUE Missions Dominican staff members, a team of long-term interns, and at least one trained and experienced BLUE Trip Leader. All our projects are led by the community, but we have our own teams of project managers, construction workers, engineers, etc. that liaise between the community and volunteers.
The BLUE Trip Leaders and Interns are responsible to ensure a safe environment for the volunteers. All BLUE leaders are trained to handle first-aid emergencies. In cases of illness, major emergencies, or evacuation from the communities, a BLUE chauffeur and truck are available in the community to transport any volunteers.
Community safety:
To get a water or sanitation project approved in a community takes months, or even a few years. Our staff spends 6-12 months performing safety assessments, scouting and engineering the project, organizing and training water committees, and preparing communities.
The community is also trained for the volunteer’s arrival. Before a project is approved and volunteers are sent to community for a project, the community must go through all training and meet all our requirements.
Volunteers are never left on their own and are always accompanied by BLUE Missions staff members, from the time they arrive in the country to when they arrive at the airport to return home. One of our rules is that a volunteer may never walk alone in the community and must always be accompanied by a leader.
Travel Info
BLUE Missions makes all arrangements for volunteers’ international air travel from when they leave Miami, FL until they return at the end of the trip. Volunteers that travel from outside Miami must make arrangements to arrive in Miami in time for the designated international group flight.
Flight leaders
As volunteers travel on the same international flights, we can provide a Flight Leader who accompanies the group from check-in at Miami to when they are received in the Dominican Republic by our team. Flight Leaders are only provided for High School Trips.
A member of the BLUE Team checks in University groups at Miami International Airport and they are escorted to the airport security checkpoint. Groups traveling on these flights are always met by a staff member on arrival at their destination after clearing customs. Students are always checked-in for their flight by a BLUE Team member at the point of origin when returning home.
Communication with parents
Parents are eager to receive notice of their child’s safe arrival. An email is sent to all emergency contacts listed on the participant’s application once the group flight lands at the final destination.
Another email is sent out a few hours later notifying parents of arrival in the rural community. The majority of the communities we work in don’t have cell reception. Our leaders and staff have cell phones that volunteers may use at any time throughout the trip, and the contact details of all our staff on the ground is shared with parents.
Volunteers are not encouraged to have cell phones. This rule is there to protect volunteers and keep their belongings safe.
Passport / visa
Visas are not required to enter the Dominican Republic but passports are required. Volunteers should make sure their passport is valid up to 3 months after the date of departure.
Last but not least: Fun!
Serving shouldn’t be a dull experience, BLUE Trips are designed in a unique blend of work and exciting activities. You’ll play softball with the community kids, help the community mothers learn a new trade, and even hike the mountains of the Dominican Republic with your volunteer group.
Your trip leader may decide to take the volunteers to a nearby beach to cool off for the day. You’ll be immersed in the local culture and may even enhance your Spanish speaking skills. All volunteers work, eat, and sleep together which creates lasting bonds between them that only get stronger when they return home.
We know that this may be your first time traveling abroad as a volunteer, and we are aware that new experiences can seem scary. But we also know that when you return from your BLUE Trip, you’ll be a lifelong supporter.