Help Sofia Grow Through Adversity In The Dominican Republic

The short story: Sofia is an amazing soul living in the Dominican Republic, who touched my life deeply with her kindness. She is a young woman (soon to celebrate her 23rd birthday) who has faced deep adversity, including discrimination, poverty, and the deaths of both of her parents. This beautiful human being needs some financial support in order to move forward in her life and build independence. Every little donation will make a huge difference in Sofia's world. Help to change her life with your contribution! Read below for the full story of our incredible meeting, and scroll to the bottom to watch the heartfelt video she made for me before I left the DR.

The long story: In April of 2024, I arrived in the Dominican Republic, having set out on the adventure of a lifetime. I did not know how long I would stay, where I would go, or what I would do, but I had booked the first two weeks for myself, to give myself a jumping off point. I would be studying Spanish in a beach town called Sosúa, and staying in a tiny bungalow just steps from the beach. When I arrived at the check-in center for my bungalow with my way too heavy suitcase and a head full of dreams, I was greeted by a beautiful young woman of Haitian descent. She politely walked me to my room, letting me know she was there if I were to need anything. Well, a few hours later, as night fell over the island, I found myself sheepishly at the front desk in need of assistance. To this day I don’t know how, but I had managed to lock myself out of my bungalow! I chuckled and this young lady flashed a radiant smile. We amusedly examined the situation together, and I ended up realizing that my keys were on the table, just on the other side of the unlocked window. I laughed as I grabbed them and let myself back into my bungalow. Having bonded, the employee introduced herself as Sofia and gave me her number in case I needed help, or wanted to know more about the island.

Initially, I was apprehensive to reach out. Being a foreigner completely new to the DR, I wanted to exercise caution. As I attended my Spanish courses, I began to relax and lean into my Dominican experience. I decided to text Sofia, who then offered to show me her neighborhood. This was the beginning of what would become a beautiful friendship.

Upon meeting up with her, any and all doubts I’d had about her intentions completely melted away, and what I saw before me was one of the kindest, most open hearted humans that I’ve ever had the pleasure to come across. I was invited warmly into Sofia’s home, and into the homes and shops of her friends. As we walked, I glimpsed the truths of Dominican life, and of the lives of the many Hatians who live there. I learned that it was not uncommon for mothers to wake up in the morning not knowing how they would feed their children that day, and that children often went from home to home seeking nourishment. It was an eye-opening experience that revolutionized the rest of my time on the island. As we walked, we talked extensively about life. We discovered that we are both orphans, and it helped to explain the instantaneous depth of our connection. Sophia’s father had left to visit Haiti during her childhood, he never arrived there and was never heard from again. I learned that her mother had died of illness only a few years prior, when the now 22 year old Sofia was just 19. It was a wound that was still fresh, and hurt very deeply. She explained to me that she was living in the home of god-parents, alongside their children . As day turned to night, we wrapped up our incredibly dynamic exchange. Before saying goodbye, she insisted on buying me an array of local fruits to take home with me. I was profoundly humbled. We were both aware that I have much more money than she, but yet she wanted to give something to me from what little she had. She wanted to give a gift of goodwill, straight from the heart. That act defines who Sofia is. She does not ask for much, but will give anything to make someone else smile.

Over the course of the next month, Sofia and I grew closer, spending as much time together as her work schedule would allow. Until, one day, she was let go unexpectedly from her job. It was a big blow, and a heavy moment emotionally, but she quickly shifted her focus back to the positive. Sofia is magic for that, she is an absolute ray of brightness and sunshine. The silver lining was that this gave us even more time to spend with one another. We laughed together and played ukulele together. She helped me with my Spanish skills and we shared deep, intellectual discussions about psychology and philosophy. I was always amazed by the great wisdom and maturity she carries, which seems to be far beyond her years. After two months in The Dominican Republic, the time came for me to leave. Sofia offered me parting gifts - a notebook, earrings, and most treasured of all, a personalized affirmation video made for me (in English, which is impressively her third language after Creole and Spanish) for whenever I fall into dark times. I offered her my ukulele (she played it better than me anyways), and all sorts of little odds and ends items that I could not or didn’t need to take with me back to the states.

Since my departure from the island, Sofia and I have kept in regular contact. Unfortunately over the course of these months, the situations surrounding her life have only become more difficult. Due to the unrest in Haiti, the political climate has become increasingly unkind to those of Haitian descent. Sofia faces discrimination on a daily basis, and has both witnessed and experienced harassment by the police. To further complicate matters, Sofia’s home life, her otherwise safe space, has also been disrupted. Her godmother’s mental health was unraveling, likely due to dementia, and she began to treat Sofia in abusive ways. Calling upon all of her INCREDIBLE resiliency, Sofia was forced to walk away from her home. She had to leave behind and say goodbye to the only family she had known since the death of her own mother, in the name of self-preservation. She turned to her church for help and was taken in by the family of her pastor, where she now shares a bedroom with his young children.

Through all of this, Sophia has been a light and a support in my life, as I have navigated my own difficulties. There are moments where these enormous obstacles and grief weigh heavy on her heart. However, she always moves through it, and is quick to rebound to a place of gratitude, hope, and faith. Her love and strength are so expansive. They inspire me deeply, and I hope they will inspire many of you.

Sofia’s 23rd birthday is coming up, and it would be a rich gift to help empower her with the resources she needs in order to advance her situation and build stability. Sofia aspires to increase her independence, to pursue an education (she’s wicked smart), and even has a Haitian friend in Canada who is willing to host her there, should she amass the resources necessary to execute that journey. What seems to many of us like a small amount of money would be completely life changing for Sofia. This amazing soul already has all of the richness of spirit one could ever desire, and I would be honored to support that with some worldly richness. I don’t know that there is anyone out there more deserving of a little boost from the universe.