Contact Information

  • Photographer: Janae Bingham 801-253-9511 memoriesbyjanae@gmail.com

Friday, November 27, 2009

So much to be thankful for...

Well, I am back from our humanitarian trip to the Dominican Republic with IASK (International Aid Serving Kids). We had an absolutely amazing experience, and I was privileged to meet many wonderful (and FUN!) people who are dedicated to serving these children and making a difference in the world around them. What a wonderful time of year to go there, and come home to fully realize just how blessed we each are. It is difficult to understand true need until you witness something like this first hand. I hope these pictures in some way convey the spirit of the Dominican Republic...the unique culture, the beautiful children (I couldn't get over their EYES!), the poverty and the need. I posted way too many I know, but I was having a hard time narrowing it down. Enjoy this little glimpse into the "D.R." as it is affectionately called... (Oh, a brief disclaimer...part of the culture of the Dominican Republic often involved small children running around without any clothes on, so you may see some little naked children in this post. Just don't want to shock anyone!) For those of you who were on the trip, be aware that I focused most of this post on the children and culture of the D.R., but do not despair, I have hundreds more pictures coming your way on your disc, and there will be plenty of all of you on there to show your families!
IMG_7825-Edit
IMG_8144
IMG_6463
IMG_6560
IMG_8191
IMG_8184
IMG_8145
IMG_6739
IMG_8158
IMG_8167
IMG_8180
This is the community shower. Those are mosquitos all over it. Can you see why we were on antimalarial meds?!?!
IMG_8300
IMG_8302
IMG_8288
The villages where we worked were in the middle of sugar cane fields. The people will chew on this woody sugar cane, resulting in lots of dental decay. This man was amazed that I had never tried sugar cane, and insisted that he "peel" some for me to try. Tasty...NOT!
IMG_8312
A boy chewing the sugar cane...
IMG_8307
The kids loved having their pictures taken, and would do about anything to catch my attention for a picture!
IMG_7143
IMG_6757-Edit
IMG_8344
IMG_7708
IMG_8421
IMG_8524
IMG_8415
The kids were more than happy to finish up our lunches each day...
IMG_6406-Edit
IMG_6454
IMG_6794-Edit
IMG_8471-Edit
The white residue you see around many of the children's mouths is mabendezol, a medicine given to all the children to treat intestinal worm infections. I couldn't believe how well they took it, when mixed up with a little Gatorade!
IMG_8041
IMG_7984
IMG_7372
IMG_8047
This is the kind of decay that our dental team was facing. Hundreds of teeth were extracted while we were there.
IMG_8423
IMG_8438
IMG_7860
IMG_8457-Edit
Can you imagine how this young man feels about his new smile?
Before:
IMG_8460-Edit
After:
IMG_8503
IMG_8467-Edit
This baby is 3 months old and belongs to a 13 year old mother. Unfortunately, our team was unable to treat her hernia.
IMG_8496
IMG_8552
IMG_8102
IMG_6659
IMG_6790-2
IMG_8026
IMG_7997
Look at the reaction of the kids when Erin, one of our volunteers, was blowing bubbles for them...
IMG_7941
IMG_7933
IMG_7901
IMG_8173
IMG_8183
IMG_8291
IMG_7854
The Young Women of Dr. Abram's ward made these bracelets for the children, and they were a huge hit.
IMG_8434-Edit
IMG_7862
IMG_7864
IMG_8254

IMG_7857
IMG_7851
The EYELASHES on this boy were unbelievable...
IMG_7849-Edit
IMG_7814IMG_7832-Edit
IMG_7789
IMG_7784
I feel like feet can tell you a lot about a place and culture...
IMG_7732
IMG_7426
IMG_7711
As I was walking through the village, I came across this boy writing his name on the ground with stones...
IMG_7702
This was one of the saddest cases we saw while we were there. These two twin boys are 9 months old, and only weigh 10 lbs each. They are not rolling, sitting or crawling. They were so unbelievable malnourished...it breaks your heart. They were so CUTE, we all thought they were girls at first, since they came into the clinic dressed in pink!
IMG_6388
IMG_6368
IMG_7675
IMG_7665
IMG_7662
IMG_7654
IMG_5956
IMG_7634
IMG_7486
The bathroom...yikes...
IMG_8296
IMG_7618
IMG_7607
IMG_7528
IMG_7599
IMG_6847
IMG_7561
IMG_7558
Fresh squeezed limeade, anyone?
IMG_7556
IMG_7534
IMG_7531
This was a typical "kitchen".
IMG_7526
IMG_7596
IMG_7510
IMG_7504
We saw multiple kids with 6 fingers.
IMG_6507
IMG_7498-Edit
IMG_7468-Edit
IMG_7344-Edit
IMG_7313
IMG_6796
IMG_7310-Edit
Here is another set of 9 month old twins...so chubby and healthy!
IMG_7308
IMG_7679
IMG_7247-Edit
IMG_7118-Edit
IMG_6914-Edit
IMG_6752-Edit-2
IMG_6745-Edit
A typical "stove".
IMG_6740
I couldn't believe this dog...
IMG_6641
We had a huge rainstorm everyday that we were there...the boys loved to play in them...
IMG_6521-Edit
And the women and girls covered their heads with garbage bags... :)
IMG_5934-Edit
IMG_6475
At the end of our trip, we were lucky enough to be able to enjoy the beauty of the Dominican Republic beaches. We stayed at a beautiful resort. It was a little difficult to see such a stark contrast between the resort and the village life. Makes you realize how truly blessed we are...
IMG_8626
IMG_8682
Anyone want to get married in the Dominican Republic? I'd be happy to go along as your wedding photographer! I couldn't believe how many weddings we saw on the beaches!
IMG_8635

IMG_8695
This was the sunset on our last night in the Dominican Republic. A beautiful and fitting farewell...
IMG_8703

Photo Categories