Marijke’s service trip to the Dominican Republic

Brandis Havener Start Date: Jun 11, 2018 - End Date: Oct 8, 2018
  • Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic
  • Sosúa, Dominican Republic
  • Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

My Travel Story

by: Brandis Havener Start Date: Jun 11, 2018 - End Date: Oct 8, 2018
Hi, my name is Marijke! I’m 15 and will be starting my junior year of high school this fall.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a passion for adventure, travel and learning more about other cultures and the world we live in.

 I discovered Rustic Pathways, a youth travel organization that supports locally driven sustainable projects in the communities that they partner with.  For a couple of years, I have asked my parents to let me go on one of their trips…this year, they finally said YES!

At the end of July, I have the amazing opportunity to go to the Dominican Republic on a Mountain Village service trip with Rustic Pathways! A few years ago, Rustic Pathways youth service trips installed a clean water system in a mountain village community in the Dominical Republic. During this trip, we will be helping a village with their black water system (it gets all the bad water back out of the village) and also work with the local youth.  I’ll have the chance to learn more about the people of the Dominican Republic and their daily life as we work with them to help improve their community!

 I am going on this trip alone, without any friends or people I know, and it scares me a bit. It’s really outside my comfort zone. But amazing things happen when you go outside your comfort zone!  I know that I’m ready for this and am so excited to go to the Dominican Republic, experience their way of life and to help make their lives just a little bit better while I’m there - all while meeting other kids from around the country (and the world) that share the same passions I have! Plus, I’ll get to put my 3 years of (very American sounding) Spanish to work!!

But…I need your help to make this happen.

If you’re able to contribute to help me with my travel expenses, it would be a HUGE help! I’ve been saving and my parents have helped as well, but this all came together recently so I haven’t had a lot of time to fundraise and earn money to help with all the trip expenses.

If you yourself, your child, grandchild or another youth you know has been positively impacted by travel, if you are interested in finding a way to help those that live in more remote parts of the world have access to water systems, or if you simply want to help me – THANK YOU! Honestly, every little bit helps and no amount is too small!

You can donate through this link, by contact myself or my parents directly, or even just save up your bottles and cans and I WILL PICK THEM UP!

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I appreciate your prayers and support and can’t wait to share my journey with you all!

Marijke

  • Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic
  • Sosúa, Dominican Republic
  • Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic