March 1, 2006: Headlines: COS - Dominican Republic: Williamsport Sun Gazette: Lisanna Stamos Gonzalez volunteered with the Peace Corps in a town called Gualete in the Dominican Republic

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Dominican Republic: Peace Corps Dominican Republic : The Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic: March 1, 2006: Headlines: COS - Dominican Republic: Williamsport Sun Gazette: Lisanna Stamos Gonzalez volunteered with the Peace Corps in a town called Gualete in the Dominican Republic

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Lisanna Stamos Gonzalez volunteered with the Peace Corps in a town called Gualete in the Dominican Republic

Lisanna Stamos Gonzalez volunteered with the Peace Corps in a town called Gualete in the Dominican Republic

“Why did I go? Because I could,” she said. “There’s something that every one of us can do. It’s amazing to be a part of something like bringing running water to people’s houses. “It’s a two-way street. They taught me more life lessons than I could have learned anywhere,” Gonzalez said. “It totally redefined my entire world view.”

Lisanna Stamos Gonzalez volunteered with the Peace Corps in a town called Gualete in the Dominican Republic

Area woman shares Peace Corps story

By BECKY LOCK-block@sungazette.com

LEWISBURG — Not many people can claim a whole village as members of their extended family. Former area resident Lisanna Stamos Gonzalez can.

From September 2002 to November 2004, Gonzalez, 26, volunteered with the Peace Corps in a town called Gualete in the Dominican Republic. She shared her experiences with a crowd of about 100 Tuesday at Bucknell University.

Gonzalez, who graduated in 1998 from Lewisburg Area High School, worked as a health and community development consultant in the Dominican Republic, teaching villagers about nutrition, hygiene, water purification and health.

“I spent time in Latin America while I was in college and I was touched and affected by the needs I saw there,” Gonzalez said. “I knew that to give myself in service for two years would only enrich my life.”

Upon graduating in 2002 from Santa Clara University in California, with a degree in applied sociology, she set off for her Peace Corps assignment. The mission started with training in Miami, Fla., where she and her fellow volunteers stayed in fancy hotels.

Immediately upon arrival in the Dominican Republic, however, each volunteer moved in with their host family.

“We went from a five-star hotel to the barrio,” she said.

The houses, though they protected from the elements, allowed the entry of “critters” such as tarantulas.

Houses had no running water, she said. During the rainy season, people collected water through rooftop drainage. In the dry season, they dug into the rocky streambeds.

Homes had electricity, Gonzalez said, but power outages were a daily occurrence.

“We usually had power for two to four hours a day,” she said.

Gonzalez’ parents — Steve Stamos and Lucy Whitchurch, both of Lewisburg, attended the talk, and spoke with the Sun-Gazette. They said they were concerned about their daughter as she began her adventure, but they believed in her abilities and eventually were able to visit.

“We had a lot of faith in her. She’s a very strong individual,” Whitchurch said. “Her community was very poor, but it was vibrant and alive and friendly. They loved having her there.”

Gonzalez’ village was about an hour from any tourist resorts and had 450 households. Among its attractions were an elementary and a high school, one cock-fighting ring, three discos and a police station that lacked vehicles and a telephone.

“Pretty much every family has a small plot of land,” Gonzalez said. “They share a lot, too. Most boys start as young as 13. They collect fruit — avocados, mangoes and citrus — and sell it to a middleman to bring home a little money for their family.”

Gonzalez’ first task was to complete a community diagnostic survey. She visited homes, got to know the residents and asked them about their biggest issues and needs.

Her two top-priority projects were to build an aqueduct and establish health education for the community.

“Water from the streams is not clean,” said Gonzalez, who witnessed cows wandering through the creeks. “It’s hard to be 100 percent sure of what you’re eating or drinking.”

To improve the health of the community, she enlisted the help of neighboring Corps volunteers as well as village leaders and worked to build a “slow sand water filter” system. Now, water that is much cleaner and healthier flows “24-7 from a tap stand in everyone’s front yard.”

At the end of her Corps assignment, Gonzalez opted to maintain her connection to the Dominican Republic. She got a job there selling a test system for detecting cervical cancer — but also flies back to the United States on a regular basis to pursue a degree in nursing.

“Why did I go? Because I could,” she said. “There’s something that every one of us can do. It’s amazing to be a part of something like bringing running water to people’s houses.

“It’s a two-way street. They taught me more life lessons than I could have learned anywhere,” Gonzalez said. “It totally redefined my entire world view.”





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Story Source: Williamsport Sun Gazette

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