Heading
☀️Today we started our day contemplating what communicates dignity in cross-cultural spaces.
How do we enter a community, share what is the essence of the E.V.E. message, hold space for those who come to our workshop, and empower them to take action in their communities when we are gone??
We are guests in Juan Tomas and when we start our day we have no idea who we will meet.
Today my heart was challenged in so many ways. From stress and worry at 8am, while eating breakfast that our planned workshop had to be shortened from 7hrs to 4.5hr to extreme joy and a full heart that our message hit the hearts of so many that came to participate our workshop. 🙏🏼
14 young adults, youth really & 3 older adults came today. Majority were from the local public school. One of the ladies was an older lady who helps out in the nursery / preschool class. She was such a spitfire. So full of knowledge and a willing open heart to learn. 💕
We briefly shared types of violence, trafficking, what to do when someone discloses abuse, ptsd, post traumatic growth. All topics they had told us at the start of the meeting they had wanted information on.
Then we asked them to share what some challenges/ violence they see in their communities.
We split them into 3 groups to work on the top 3 topics. To discuss what the causes might be for violence in their communities.
Let me tell you, these adults impressed us all. They identified stress, lack of information of the risk and consequences to self, curiosity, broken families, and more. The exact same causes that we have of violence and abuse in Canada.
My heart broke listening to the words these youth shared with us. And it was filled with extreme excitement for the power and bravery they displayed.
Then we challenged them to find solutions. Not to end all violence in the Dominican, but to start with one thing, one step they could do.
Our desire is to plant the seed, the idea and watch them take that idea and make it their own.
When our workshop was wrapping up, & the certificates were handed out, a young lady came and blessed each of us letting us know that we inspired her to talk more with her family, to start with one person and share what she learned today. 🥰
After lunch we were blessed to have the opportunity to visit with Juanita. A grandmother who cares for her daughter with unique needs & 3 grand daughters. Power is in that house as well. 💕
✨As we finish the night, I reflect again. Each of the people we met today has incredible worth. Was I able to hold space for them? Was I able to communicate dignity or diminish dignity?
“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word” ~Leo Buscaglia
