We invite you to be humbled this year, perhaps step out of your comfort zones, and experience the cultures of Haiti and the Dominican Republic on a Mission Education Encounter Team. Taking a “mission trip” with International Child Care will seem very different from trips you may have gone on in the past.
Why? Well, because we firmly believe in empowering the communities we work in, allowing the community to take ownership in the work and build change. Instead of going and doing for the people of Haiti and Dominican Republic, we come alongside them. We listen to their needs, give advice, love, and pray.
So instead of getting caught up in what you might build or do on your trip, we invite you to think about how a MEET may inspire change in your own life.
“I feel a little more in touch with spectrum of poverty to privilege,” said a participant of a 2016 MEET. “I learned that Haitians have the education and knowledge to spread good health practices, but don’t always have the resources and supplies to do it. I have more of a sense of how many, many people in the world live, and also more of a sense of how I can help either in person, or from home.”
Through MEET trips, ICC builds relationships, not walls and barriers. Our program emphasizes interaction, participation, and human connection rather than economic or capital development. We strive to build a shared humanity and serve as Christ has called us to, alongside "the least of these...our brothers and sisters."
So what will you do on a MEET trip?
- Tour Grace Children's Hospital and clinics
- Participate in Morning Devotions at the hospital
- Visit Urban Community Health sites in slums in Port-au-Prince
- Assist with feeding, holding, and playing with the children in the inpatient ward
- Teach a day-long Vacation Bible School program in Northern, rural Haiti
- Visit and tour the Citadel to gain a better understanding of Haiti’s history
- Tour the Lakou Lakay Cultural Center
- Attend a Haitian or Dominican church service
- Tour Santiago, DR and museums
- Accompany home visits to families with children living with disabilities
- Participate in games with adolescents in the adolescent community inclusion program in the Dominican Republic
- Visit a rural community health site outside of Santiago
- Host a day camp for local children with games, lessons, and crafts
View sample itineraries by clicking here.
What are the costs involved?
Cost is based upon the sample itineraries and a group of 7. Price will be adjusted slightly up or down based on activities, hotel selected, and number of participants.
Cost for either a Haiti MEET or Cross-Border MEET is approximately $1,600 per person and includes:
- All hotel accommodations and most meals
- Daily transportation on the island and flight between Port-au-Prince and Cap Haitien, bus ticket between DR and Haiti
- Staff support and guides, translators
- Cost of service projects (Vacation Bible School and party for children at hospital)
- All excursion costs for tours, museums, cultural centers, etc.
- Travelers insurance, background check (required), incidentals
Individuals will be responsible for additional costs of 3-4 meals, $10 tourist card purchased when entering Haiti, and the flight from the states to the island.
Worried about expenses? Give us a call to get help on lowering the costs for your team based on schedule and team size. We can also provide help and ideas to help offset costs with individual or team fundraising strategies.
Ready to get started or have questions?
Teams are typically 6-10 people, and each team will need a team leader. We work with your group leader to schedule a date and travel plans and communicate down to our staff in Haiti and the Dominican Republic to plan the activities you're interested in. We will start from one of our sample itineraries, and build the trip to accommodate the group.
All you need to get started is to send us an email at Kirsten@internationalchildcare.org or give us a call at 1-800-722-4453.