This Summer, 14 students and three faculty members traveled to the Dominican Republic to build a house for a family with the organization Cambiando Vidas. Please enjoy this final blog post for the trip from Trip Leader Sheryl Koyama and Jose Abreu from Cambiando Vidas.
Sheryl Koyama:
In 2008, Deerfield alum, Tom Boucher ’78, contacted Deerfield with an offer to send two teachers to the Dominican Republic on a Cambiando Vidas build. There was no expectation that we would begin taking students, but he did hope to plant a seed that might grow into a relationship. In March 2009, the first Deerfield team travelled to the DR and we have returned at least once each year since then. After a brief hiatus during COVID, Deerfield was the first school to return to the DR and begin building again. Nearly 25% of the 112 houses built by Cambiando Vidas have been Deerfield houses.
When I went to the DR in 2008, I didn’t know how deeply I needed Cambiando Vidas in my life. As much as I like teaching students how to factor and solve logarithmic equations, my connection between Deerfield Academy students and colleagues through Cambiando Vidas has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my Deerfield career. The week that I spend with students in the DR is the hardest work I do all year. It’s a 24/7 job taking care of other people’s children at a rural worksite in the Dominican Republic. When students say that they are tired, I remind them that I am 3 (and now 4!) times their age, I am the last one to bed and the first one up every day. Nonetheless, it is the most enjoyable and impactful week of the year for me and as soon as a trip is done, I begin counting the months until the next build.
Of course, one of the benefits for me of the CV/DA connection is the dear friendship that I’ve formed with Jose Abreu, founder and director of Cambiando Vidas. He has seen me through some hard personal times, reminding me that I need to put all of my problems in a little bag and leave them in the DR. Jose has met everyone in my family, and we were fortunate to do a family build in March 2019. He still calls my 93-year-old parents every year on their anniversary.
Last week, Jose paid this year’s team the highest compliment possible when he said that the team reminded him of the first Deerfield team, which included my daughter. I agree completely.
Students, in the same way that Tom Boucher planted a seed that grew into a beautiful relationship, I hope that in the past week Jose, Mr. Graves, Ms. Boudway and I planted a seed in your lives. Optimistically we will see that seed begin to sprout during your time at Deerfield as you embrace and share what it truly means to be a community. After you leave Deerfield, I hope that seed blossoms and always reminds you of your responsibility to care for others all around the world. I also hope that plant has a few thorns that represent discomfort and a willingness to act when you see injustice and inequity around you.
I know that I leave the CV/DA connection in great hands, and I trust that you all will continue to change the lives of others and to welcome change in your own lives.
As usual, I’ll let Jose have the last word.
Jose Abreu:
For the last 16 years there has been a relationship between Deerfield Academy and Cambiando Vidas, thanks to Tom Boucher who made the connection, and then to Kim Libby and Sheryl Koyama who were the first team leaders who came. They got involved and fell in love with
Cambiando Vidas and the work that they were doing, and they saw that this will be a perfect relationship between Deerfield and Cambiando Vidas. And they were right. Because that relationship started and more than 200 Deerfield students have been part of this unique experience of building a house in one week. But the most important part in this relationship is not the houses built, it is how much the students have learned in such a short time, how much their lives have changed in a positive way. We have seen students coming from C- to A+. It is very fulfilling to see how much the students have learned, have grown, and how impactful has been the experience with Cambiando Vidas just putting them in a place that they can learn about themselves. It’s a unique experience that doesn’t just change the lives of just the students but also the lives of the people in the community, especially the young boys and young girls from the community, in a very positive way. The relationship that has been built in a week is amazing. The friendship, love, and care for each other is unbelievable. Thank you for establishing the relationship with us and for letting us be part of the school.
Also, for the teachers that come, for them the relationship with the students changed from teachers and students to teammates. And also, besides thanking Deerfield Academy I would also like to thank Sheryl Koyama for taking Cambiando Vidas under her wing, making this program a part of her life and a part of her family, making connection and engaging other teachers to be part of this wonderful experience. I know that this has impacted her in a very positive way like it has the other teachers who have come. Thank you Deerfield Academy, thank you Sheryl Koyama for making possible that Cambiando Vidas and Deerfield have a very strong relationship—not a business relationship, but a family relationship. Thank you so much.