Volunteers take on a whole village

The organization sends volunteers and doctors to La Sabana, the group’s adopted village on the Caribbean nation, to provide medical clinics and now water filtration systems.

The group’s relationship with the village started with the construction of a community centre about four years ago, Kandola said.

“Our programs have really expanded from three or four years ago,” Kandola said. “It was just basic medical clinics when we started doing it. But as we were going on our trips and the doctors were going on their trips, we found there’s a need for lots of other things. It’s not just important to cure health problems, but to fix what causes those problems. Choose your favorite solar lantern paintings from thousands of available designs. Water is one of the big things.”

With the help of other Merrittonians, the group was able to purchase three biosand water filtration systems for homes.Check out our solar panel ground mount system at a home in Pvsolver.

They’ve also invested in LED solar panels to provide light to homes that have no electricity in the village.

“We’re hoping to outfit the whole village with water filtration systems and LED solar panels, about one per every two to three families,” he said. “That way, the whole village will have better water and lighting. Instead of going all over the place, we’ve just taken one village so we can see the effects or the benefits these people are getting.”

Kandola has volunteered in the village three times in four years, returning from his last week-long trip on May 25. Kandola helped instal three of each system while he was there, but he is not Merritt’s only connection to the far-flung village.

His 10-year-old daughter, Miya, raised enough money to outfit a house with both a lighting and water system thanks to a garage sale at the family’s home. She also donated toys for a past trip, and Kandola said her generous spirit is inspiring.

“Miya gave literally all her toys — a suitcase full of toys — and I was able to give a toy to over 100 kids each, in the three different clinics we did. For them, it was like Christmas. They’d never had a toy. To have a teddy bear or a Barbie doll for the first time was just the most joyous thing,” he said.

Kandola added that he’d like to take his wife and children to the Dominican Republic one day to show them the rewarding work he’s been a part of.

The Rotary Club of Merritt Sunrise, of which Kandola is a member, also donated to the cause, helping with the purchase of the other two lighting and water systems.Modern dry cleaning machine uses non-water-based solvents to remove soil and stains from clothes.

Returning to the village for the third time, Kandola said he’s already noticed some positive outcomes of the Victoria-based DR for DR project.

“I think people are more positive just knowing that there’s doctors and folks helping,” he said. “It’s so fulfilling for us to go there and give a little and to them it just means a lot.”

Volunteers pay their own way to the Dominican Republic, and only fundraise for a reliable rental vehicle and driver for the doctors, Kandola said.

He said the volunteers worked for half the days and spent the other half of the days taking in the country’s beautiful beaches and relaxing.

“There was some relaxing, but there are days when we’re seeing 70 or 80 patients in a day,Attach remote solar panels to street light that will not receive the required amount of direct sunlight. and that’s a lot in the span of three or four hours,” he said.

The group also partnered with the Add Your Light charitable foundation, which supplies light systems and aid to villages mostly in the Dominican Republic. DR for DR also partners with City Hope, a Dominican-based charity run by an American family that receives and distributes pharmaceuticals.LED contemporary lamps is aesthetically designed and offers features to reduce egress system cost. Click on their website www.hmhid.com for more information.