Community Service Spotlight: Ward aids with aqueduct production in the Dominican Republic

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Jazz Ward

Sophomore Jazz Ward traveled to the Dominican Republic over the summer with Rustic Pathways in hopes to begin the production of an aqueduct in a small village. “There were multiple sessions of the same trip over the course of the summer and my group was the first session so over time more groups kept working on the same dig site. By the end of the summer the village had running water,” Ward said.

Giving back to a given community, whether your own or miles away, can be a rewarding activity that unites people with many different backgrounds and it gives people a sense of purpose after completing a common goal. For Sophomore Jazz Ward, ther common goal was to begin the production of an aqueduct in a village in the Dominican Republic, where the locals struggle to gain access to water. Ward attended this trip over the summer, with Rustic Pathways which is an organization that offers international community service programs for high school students. What initially peaked Ward’s interest in attending the service trip was at St. Paul Academy and Summit School, where a representative from Rustic Pathways spoke with her outside the lunchroom where the representative had set up a table.

The trip was 9 days long and our goal was to begin the production of building an aqueduct for a village of people living without water. An aqueduct is a series of underground pipes that will bring fresh water from a nearby river to the village people. There were multiple sessions of the same trip over the course of the summer and my group was the first session so over time more groups kept working on the same dig site. By the end of the summer, the village had running water,” Ward said. 

I made unforgettable friendships with people all over the world and the United States. I also feel like I made a change in people’s lives that will really make a difference

— sophomore Jazz Ward

A typical day in the humid Dominican Republic summer heat consisted of three hour shifts two times daily. Throughout the shifts, Ward and other volunteers were required to shovel and dig holes into the ground roughly one foot wide and one foot deep where the pipes for the aqueduct would be. Ward describes the sometimes challenging task:

“When our group would get tired and feel dejected we tried to bring our morals up by thinking of the good things that our work would bring to the village. We also would bring a portable speaker and listen to music to keep us entertained. My group became like family by the end of the week so it never was too difficult to be working with them,” Ward said.

The trip itself, Ward said, was transformative in that it gave her perspective on simple things like clean water and a great education that anyone may take for granted. The friendliness the locals from the village had for Ward and her group amazed her, and she appreciated their gratitude the most.

“The villagers have amazing family values and were incredibly kind. I learned so much about what matters to them, and that taught me to never forget how lucky I am. I will never forget the kindness and gratefulness that each person expressed to us, whether it was one of the villagers that was helping us work or the people who passed us on the road. These people, although in unfortunate living situations, never made us feel unwelcome in their homes, instead they embraced us and made us feel like family,” Ward said.

Ward urges any SPA student to partake in a trip similar to hers if given the opportunity.

“I would recommend going a trip like this for anyone. I made unforgettable friendships with people all over the world and the United States. I also feel like I made a change in people’s lives that will really make a difference,” Ward said.