A Huge Step Forward in Batey 7

Young women of Batey 7 imagine what they hope for their
community

January-July 2018: A roundup review of the CHE work in southwestern Dominican Republic: Blog #10

As many of you know, Jenny and I are mission workers with the Presbyterian Church (USA), working for their international mission outreach agency, World Mission (PC(USA) World Mission). We have been stationed in the Dominican Republic since 2012, helping promote, support and develop the Community Health Evangelism outreach program of our partner here, the Dominican Evangelical Church (IED--Iglesia Evangélica Dominicana).

2018 has been an an exciting year, with three of the four communities where we work taking on a number of new challenges. This blog is part of a series of eleven short presentations of the work that has been developing. I am posting them in reverse order so that the images from January will be at the "beginning." This is also represents a commitment on my part to fully complete my blog ambitions.

This blog is number #10:

Batey 7: Forming a Youth Group

July 24th, members of the CHE Committee of Batey 7 brought together a group of thirty-some youth to support them as they form a youth club, or group. Juan Batista and Altagracia Medina led the meeting. Neither Jenny nor I could attend, but we did sit down with Juan and Altagracia the week before to help them put together the program for the activity. When we met with Juan later in the week, he was still buzzing from the excitement of the meeting.

This is the first time the Batey 7 committee has taken on a commitment of this nature, not just a one off activity but a long term effort. Keep Juan, Altagracia and the youth of Batey 7 in your prayers. In particular, pray that we can help them in their efforts to maintain their focus and their energy.

Here are some of the images from the activity:

This is a photo of the program for the activity. Writing down what you are going to do in
a meeting and then doing it is a new concept for many of the people with whom we serve.
July 2018. Photo by Mark Hare.

Translation:
24 July, 2018: *Formation of a Youth Club*  Sing--Marleni & Graciela & Pray--
Guillermo. Reading from the Bible (Joshua 1:9)--Pastor Wilson. Welcome--Altagracia.
Divide in Small Groups--Each group makes a drawing of their dream for Batey 7.
Each Group Explains the Drawing--the "secretary" from each group. Brainstorming
Session for activities [that the youth group can carry out]. Form a leadership team,
provisional, for the next 6 months. When will the  group's next meeting be--What day,
what time and what activity will the group be planning. Final Prayer

Young women working on imaging their dreams for Batey 7.
July 2018. Photo by Juan Batista.

Young men working in small groups, imagining what they would
like to see become a reality in Batey 7. July 2018. Photo by Juan
Batista

What members of "Group 2" want to see in Batey 7. Abraham explained some of the images
to us in another meeting, but he wasn't entirely clear about all of them. Number 2 represents
improvements to the basketball court. Number 3 represents new houses for people living in
poorly constructed ones. Number 4 represents cleaning up the trash and maybe getting regular
trash collection from the local municipality. Number 5 is finishing paving the streets. Number
6 is improving the electrical system in the community. July 2018. Photo by Mark Hare.

Brainstorming session. Juan Batista helping participants tape up the
papers with their ideas for activities the youth want to do--each slip
of paper representing one idea. July 2018. Photo by Juan Batista.

Candidates for president of the youth group hide their eyes
as participants cast their votes. July 2018. Photo by Juan
Batista.