Education AIDs prevention

INTERCHANGE IN THE CARIBBEAN

YOUTH PREVENTION AND EDUCATION AGAINST HIV/AIDs PROGRAM

Youth prevention cultural/educational international exchange activities against HIV/AIDs are very useful for helping students and other participants to discover for themselves the reality of the Dominican people and to get to know their culture. The participants will have every opportunity of sharing in and living the "Dominican reality." Participating Dominican students gain the opportunity to learn more about their own people and socio-economic situation. The Dominican students will also have the opportunity to make new international friends and to learn more about the cultures of the visiting students.

The projects will be developed together with students from the Dominican Republic, Guadalupe, Martinique, France, St. Martin, and others, as well as with members of the Centro Cultural Turístico Guanín, Inc., who will help and support the program in every way (CCTUR Guanín is a non-governmental, non-profit institution).

History of the Centro Cultural Guanín:

CCTUR Guanin, Inc; was officially incorporated on May 15th, 2002, as a non-profit charitable organization, through decree No. 384-02. Center Cultural Guanin, Inc. exists to provide support, encouragement, and direction to any and all youth of all ages in the communities of the Dominican Republic. We believe in providing opportunities that will develop a caring attitude, leadership skills, and positive self-esteem.

Guanin Center, Inc. is a non-profit institution formed by university students, professors, and other interested persons. The majory, 80%, are students at the Universidad O & M (Universidad Dominicana Organización y Meta); 10% are students from other universities, and 10% are professors and professionals. This program of YOUTH PREVENTION AND EDUCATION AGAINST HIV/AIDs cultural exchange was created to elevate and promote education about HIV/AIDS prevention in all the Dominican communities and to provide the opportunity to our youths with limited economic resources to learn more about international education, while acquiring personal and professional growth experiences through their interchanges with students of different nationalities.

This project will serve as classes for the youths' "curriculum of life" as well as for their professional lives--for both the national and international students. During the social work projects, they will visit public hospitals and private clinics that focus on AIDs medical treatment as well as historical sites, indigenous caves, scientific reserves, national parks, exotic places, and will have the opportunity to participate in adventures on horseback, in boats, on foot, etc. These activities are where they will see their dreams become real, sharing with children, youth, senior citizens, and other Dominicans while visiting various places in the Dominican Republic and overseas, learning firsthand how to improve the future of all people.

Participants will discover another aspect of the Dominican culture, past and present, on our custom designed trips that will coincide with class curriculum while safely immersing students into diverse Dominican lifestyles. Guanin Center has myriad unique adventure opportunities designed especially for our DAR VIDA A LA VIDA (Giving Life to Life) program, which is for young people with AIDs. Youths involved in this project will have the opportunity to visit various sites along the Dominican coastline, getting to know different regions and people in their own country by spending one week aboard a boat for a hands-on experience that gets them dynamically involved in Hispanic-Caribbean culture and society.

YOUTH PREVENTION AND EDUCATION AGAINST HIV/AIDs. Our goal is for young people to get involved in projects that will have a monumental, long-term impact on the children and the communities that they serve. Trips can be done in Spanish only, if requested.

An integral part of the program is for the young participants and other adventurous persons to explore and learn about a culture that is foreign to them, together with Dominican students from the Centro Cultural Turístico Guanín. This experience will have a lasting impact on our youths as they discover the Dominican culture. On all trips, we will be visiting public and private hospitals and clinics that provide AIDs medical treatment and other centers for HIV/STD prevention for youths, who will learn about HIV/AIDs and meet local Dominicans.

SAS & Guanín's cultural and educational international exchange offers growth opportunities to both visiting students and Dominican students. By interacting with the Dominicans, both Dominican and foreign students can enter into a mutually beneficial relationship and also become much better informed about HIV/AIDs and other STDs, and their prevention. It is our goal that the visiting students will develop an interest and involvement in the Dominican Republic and in other Caribbean countries, an interest and involvement that will endure long after they return home.

The Dominican Republic is an extraordinary country, which has many educational opportunities and adventures. Optional excursions can be included in our trip packages to meet specific interests of the group.

What is offered:

We offer a way to discover the Dominican culture and also inform the participants about the HIV/AIDs, past and present, on our custom designed trips, a way that will coincide with class curriculum while safely immersing students into the diverse Dominican lifestyles.

In the past, we have conducted diverse cultural activities where international students have lived with Dominican host families-each Dominican participant chose a visiting student to invite to his or her home, where they shared and lived the reality of daily life for a Dominican family. For this program, each visiting student contributes a small amount of money for his or her share of the food, transportation, and other necessities. Living with and sharing daily life with families makes it easier for visiting students to learn the language and the culture, including the importance of music and dance to Dominicans, some of their customs, and the simple but delicious Dominican cuisine. There have been, of course, some complaints about the Dominican daily reality, such as: