Helping Humanity

"The only real nation is humanity." -Dr. Paul Farmer. Following a transformational trip to the Dominican Republic with Global Leadership Adventures, three students came together to form Helping Humanity. Our goal is simple: to help humanity by building better lives through sustainable methods. The first project we have chosen is to build a basic medical clinic in Caraballo, a re-settlement camp for Haitian refugees in the Dominican Republic. As illegal immigrants, the inhabitants are tolerated by the Dominican government but not recognized as citizens. They have no identities; no birth certificates, no records. With no identification, they are unable to gain employment outside of the village to pay for basic necessities like healthcare. In addition to the one in Caraballo, we will also be constructing clinics in Cano Dulce and La Boca. Both of these villages, while not Haitian resettlement camps, are impoverished. They are home to Dominicans who cannot afford even the most basic healthcare. Operating as a subset of Global Leadership Adventures, Helping Humanity is going to build clinics in the summer of 2014 where people can go for the basic medical attention that is so frequently taken for granted by the citizens of developed nations. The construction method we will use is called Ecoladrillo, which allows otherwise discarded plastic bottles and trash to be used as raw material for building construction. Powered by solar panels, the clinics will be as environmentally friendly as they will be beneficial to the residents of Caraballo, Cano Dulce, and La Boca. Our goals are significant, as is our budget. We need approximately $16,000 to cover building materials and medical supplies. Any contribution, be it $1, $100, or $1,000, will be immensely appreciated by Helping Humanity, and even more so by the people whose lives will be changed by these clinics.