Mixing concrete for a floor
By Tamara Loeber | “Why are you here?” This was a question Donny and I heard repeatedly while onboard Fathom Travel’s second-ever cruise to the Dominican Republic a few weeks ago. We heard it again on the island at the beach, when planting trees on an impossibly green mountaintop, and while teaching English in a sixth-grade classroom in a local elementary school.
Why were we there? It’s pretty safe to say we would all love to do our part to make the world a little better, but how can we make an intentional decision to have that goal be part of our lives regularly?
Landing site
We’ve travelled all over the world as budget-travelers. Travel expands our minds and our hearts. Getting out of our comfort zone challenges us to examine our habits, beliefs and predispositions. You begin to see clearly that when it comes down to it, we humans are indeed all the same.
What we heard about the new cruise line, Fathom, intrigued us. Owned by Carnival, Fathom focuses on trips with a purpose, based on the belief that the “person-to-person connection is among the strongest catalysts for transformation.” Their Impact Travel trips to the Dominican Republic aim to combine fun and adventure with sustainable social impact.
Our Impact Guide got us thinking deeply in one of the preparatory onboard workshops held as we sailed toward the island. She advised us on how to interpret new situations from a perspective of empathy rather than sympathy. Fathom learned the real needs of the community in Puerto Plata, and how travelers might be able to help reach those goals. Some 40 percent of Dominicans live below the poverty level, and needs are many. Fathom Travelers work alongside representatives of partner organizations, but also together with members of the local community. All have a common goal: to empower the local community in a long-term, sustainable way.
Planting trees
As we squatted together in the thick, green grass, a Jurassic landscape spreading out around us, a Dominican Boy Scout asked, “Why are you here?” We were planting seedlings on the hillside slopes in the Yasica region. “I want to help,” I told him. “It might not be as much fun as the beach, but it’s more important, right?” he asked. Exactly! Reforestation will help combat erosion, clean the air and increase biodiversity in this northern mountain range, so important to the Cibao valley, where most of the country’s food is produced.
“Why are you here?” we asked a local teenager who, with some of his friends had joined in the sweaty, dirty job of mixing concrete by hand in the dirt. “We want to help,” he said. “My friend’s grandmother got a floor last week, and everyone is so excited.” We were outside the cinderblock home of a young family. By the end of the day their dirt floor would be replaced by a safe, smooth one of concrete. Other Impact Activities offered on Fathom Travel cruises include helping new businesses get a head start or assisting with the production of water filters, and helping students and community members with English conversation.
The impact on individuals and within the community in Puerto Plata is easy to see, but it doesn’t end there. It just may lead to a more intentional life back home, and an answer to the question, “Why are you here?”
If you’re ready to get on board, be sure to use our special Insiders’ Code. Details on how to book are at the end of our Fathom Travel post on TurtlesTravel.com.
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