Summer Archives

Haydon Tucker Monte Plata, Dominican Republic - Kids Alive International

Uno is a Team Sport

Haydon Tucker – Kids Alive International; Monte Plata, DR

The house was moderately quiet after dinner, a rare occurrence at Casa Monte Plata (CMP), as nearly all the kids had gone outside to enjoy the cooler evening air. My friend Jovanny and I, however, sat at a corner of the table, Uno cards spread out before us, slowly repeating the names of each card’s color. After a bit of review, I’d point to a card and ask him to identify it. In large part because of extreme neglect before moving to CMP last November, Jovanny is severely developmentally delayed. Unlike the majority of his 7-year-old peers (and despite massive recent improvements in speech and inhibitory control), he cannot identify different colors, and though he generally enjoyed practicing, he quickly became frustrated with that particular evening’s lesson.

As I tried desperately to hold his attention (a losing battle, I couldn’t hope to compete with the game of tag being played outside), Yari wandered into the kitchen. Now sixteen, he’s lived at the children’s home since he was a toddler. Noting Jova’s frustration, Yari sat down beside him and picked up a few of the cards, patiently showing Jovanny how to pair matching colors and repeating their respective names. This game of Uno would not be one that Jova would play on his own- Yari was just one of a team of caring people devoted to Jovanny’s growth and development. I drew back, watching as Yari cared for this little boy turned little brother and Jova slowly began to understand the objective. Subsequent evenings, after plates had been cleared from the table and Jovanny retrieved his Uno cards, Yari continued to join us, sitting beside Jova and steadily reminding him of what he had already learned. Yari’s presence and interest in Jova’s progress was, in many ways, representative of the work being done at CMP as children from broken homes are united in new families, as they are individually known and uniquely cared for based on their respective needs, as countless individuals sacrifice time and personal interest for the betterment of others.

This summer, I served in the Dominican Republic with Kids Alive International, a group dedicated to seeking out children suffering from hunger, abuse, poverty, or exploitation and caring for them physically, spiritually, emotionally. In Monte Plata, a province just north of the capital, the organization runs a residential care facility (Casa Monte Plata), home to about forty children, and a school. I spent my mornings at school, teaching summer class curriculum to a loud and adorable bunch of kindergarteners. In the afternoons, I would return to CMP and do remedial work with students needing extra help in reading, writing, and math. In the evenings, I sat at dinner tables and talked with house parents about poverty, racial divides, the seemingly unimaginable stories of some of the children, their own lives and pasts. But most often, my favorite parts of each day were moments like those with Yari and Jova, watching children learn, grow, and flourish alongside and with the help of their supportive community—it was a privilege to live and work among and alongside these dedicated and selfless people, and I hope I returned even a glimpse of the encouragement they gave me in our united pursuit toward the rescue of children in dire need.