Victoria Figueroa Provides Clean Water to Those in Need

Junior Victoria Figueroa boarded the plane to La Berenjena in the Dominican Republic, where she joined the Blue Missions Group initiative to provide clean water for those less fortunate.

“During my time in the Dominican Republic I specifically worked with other volunteers on building new bathrooms for the community. The building process was very hard work, especially in the hot weather,” Figueroa said.

Figueroa not only devoted herself physically, but also emotionally during the one week period. She developed deep connections with multiple individuals, specifically one of the young children within the underprivileged community.

“I was able to meet a lot of the people from the community who were very thankful for what we were doing for them. A young girl made sure to come every morning to express her gratitude to me,” Figeroa said.

Although much joy came out of the meaningful connections, Figueroa did face many hardships while living in the unknown rural surroundings.

“It was especially difficult to adjust to the environment. There were many things which I was not used to such as the change in language, as well as the lack of accessible water,” Figueroa said.

Despite these obstacles, she persevered and was able to take much away from this eye opening experience.

“When I first found out about the opportunity to join the mission I was tentative, but after researching more about the organization and seeing the positive impact they make I knew that I wanted to join,” Figueroa said. “Now that I have returned from the mission I was able to see firsthand the way in which one person’s actions can truly make a difference in the lives of others.”

There is no question that Figueroa made a difference in the lives of the families of La Berenjena and the community as a whole.