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They called them Impact Activities - "shore excursions" with a social purpose and impact upon the people and region around Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. They said this cruise by Fathom Travel would be like no other. A chance to cruise while also doing good (aren't those somehow mutually exclusive?) It struck me as something I might enjoy, given that I've devoted most of my professional career to being a "do-gooder". So, I went. By myself. With 699 other people I didn't know, to a place I'd never been, to do things that sounded important and significant, at least on paper.
Well, in a nutshell, THEY WERE RIGHT - at least from the standpoint of how we travelers would feel when it was over. So, this particular blog post is not going to be a recitation of every minute detail of my 3 days in the DR. Rather, it may to some extent help me understand why I confidently signed on to a 2nd cruise back there in May, even before the ship had left port to head home. It may help to justify setting up a Facebook Group for fellow travelers who, upon hearing of the impending discontinuation of this program, were equally compelled to ask "WHY WOULD YOU STOP SOMETHING SO SUCCESSFUL"?
So, to help me compose this, I came up with 5 "P's" to cover the things I think are most important. Here goes:
PLACE - The Dominican Republic, in our case the north coast, City of Puerto Plata, at the Amber Cove Port (built by Carnival Corp. to the tune of $85M). Some key facts about the DR:
Demographics: 10 million+, mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11%, 95% Roman Catholic
Poverty rate: 41%Economy: The Dominican Republic has long been viewed primarily as an exporter of sugar, coffee and tobacco, but in recent years the service sector has overtaken agriculture as the economy's largest employer, due to growth in construction, tourism, and free trade zones.
Youth Unemployment rate: 31.4%Educational levels: Literacy rate 91%; school expectancy rate 13 yearsFor more info visit:U.S. State Dept.
PEOPLE: As I said, I went on this cruise alone (couldn't persuade anyone to tag along), but I sure didn't come back that way. Unlike what I'm told is a typical cruise, everyone on this 700-passenger boat was there for the same reason - to experience another country in ways that other travelers never do. So, once I overcame my natural reluctance to ask if I could sit/join others at meals, etc., it rolled from there. I didn't meet all 700, but I came back with a list of over 35 that I interacted with more than social chit-chat. [Don't get me wrong - being a single in a world of doubles is still not easy, overcoming that "third-wheel" feeling].
On the cruise: My 35 closest fellow travelers:
At the Port: There were the Pedi-cab drivers, the girls at the Coffee shop, the Taxi Manager, the Merengue band, the security personnel, and two very special new friends who work at the Port in the Coco Cana restaurant/bar (more on them later).
In the City: My taxi/guide Alfri, our tour guide Augusta, the two musical instrument merchants, the 83-year-old artist Rafi, our bus drivers,
At the Impact Activities: By accident, I learned about a pilot Impact activity teaching English to underprivileged (I really hate that term) college students in an English Immersion program. And the amazing ladies at Repapel, a paper recycling cooperative in a low-income neighborhood.
PURPOSE(S): From the Fathom.org website: We believe travel can make a difference for good. We also believe that many people long to make a difference in the world and within themselves, but have no idea where to begin. Globally, great things are happening to address some of the social and environmental needs in the world, but there is far more to be done. Fathom exists to connect people’s passions and gifts with the needs in the world, and to help them navigate this complex journey. Fathom exists to create meaningful social impact, and to unleash the greatness in every person. Fathom exists to put love in action.
PRACTICAL STUFF: Some things we were told were absolutely true: Don't drink the water; don't pet stray dogs; use insect repellent; most everyone accepts US Dollars. There's lots more - feel free to ask. PS: In 3+ days there, I found NO ONE that was not helpful.
POSSIBILITIES: Early on, we learned that Fathom Travel (at least as we know it today) is discontinuing these Impact cruises at the end of May (this is not official as far as I know). The ostensible reason - P&O Cruises (the owner of the Adonia, our ship)- is recalling her to Southampton, U.K., to cruise the Baltic and the Amazon River, so Fathom is out of a ship. They say that the Impact activities (Chocolate production, Repapel, Student and Community English, Concrete Floors, Reforestation) will continue to be offered to other cruise ships coming to this port as shore excursions. Those travelers will not, as far as I heard, be offered the very important "immersion" that takes place on board ship while enroute to the DR and the debriefing that happens on the way home.
Almost everyone on board would - if given a vote - continue and even expand these activities. Everyone I talked to was brimming with ideas about how to expand the underlying activities (more on this in a subsequent blog). Some wanted to donate money.
Suffice it to say that the P&O/Carnival folks on board didn't seem interested in anything more than the "standard" evaluation form provided on the last day that doesn't even come close to capturing what everyone was feeling.
What was I feeling? Does the phrase "life-changing experience" begin to capture it? The preface to this particular chapter of my life begins with these key factoids:
- I'm 66 years old, going on 90, going on 25, single, live alone with 3 cats and do genealogy for fun.
- I am a long-time percussionist in the Rockford Symphony Orchestra.
- I am a cancer survivor, now about 3 years in remission
- I am in my 25th year running a nonprofit agency that I founded
- I am growing in my desire to do what many others in my situation have done and are doing - "retire", i.e. begin a new chapter in your life
- I do not lack in the passion for working with and for young adults who lack opportunity but who possess incredible potential.
- I rarely take vacations.
It is hard to describe the effect this trip had on me. I think that it is has clearly convinced me that a new chapter in my life has already begun. The end of that chapter has not been written, obviously, but the ingredients are there:
- Somehow combine your passions for your work, travel, and available resources to continue to enlarge, expand and enhance the lives of those I encounter (past, present and future).
- In the process, continue to perform and be involved in the music world.
I have not stopped thinking about how I could put my knowledge, skills, and contacts to work alongside the people referenced above. This is not a selfish thing, nor a desire to shower them with gifts or favors. It is not borne of the uniquely American (dare I say Trumpish) attitude that "we can show you how to live your lives better". It really feels more like a "how can I roll up my sleeves and join in" kind of thing.
We went for a reason....so now what? Here are a few thoughts and ideas:
- Expand the time frame in port
- Deepen the partnership with the on-ground partners (Entrena and IDDI)
- Arrange for "reverse" impact, that is, recruit Dominican partners and students to return with us to the US, participate in learning exchanges, and travel back later.
- Look at full blown student exchange programs between US and Dominican universities
- Establish partnerships between DR agencies and US programs (like YouthBuild) to foster transnational training and education experiences.
Got you thinking, right?
If you are a fellow traveler - visit our new Facebook Group, called "Impact In Action".
