Blue Missions empowers youth to advocate for a world where clean water is accessible to all. Joining this nonprofit organization’s service trips give volunteers an opportunity to take part in the construction of a water or sanitation and hygiene project in a rural community within the Dominican Republic.
Over the years, many ILS students enjoyed volunteering through Blue Missions.
“Blue Missions was one of the best experiences of my life. I was able to meet so many new people and learn about the hardship so many people face. I will be forever grateful for the fact that I was able to contribute to help the community of La Curba, Dominican Republic, and the memories from when I was there will be with me forever,” said junior Carolina Moreno.
If you decide to join a Blue Missions trip, you can earn about 100 hours. Given that the ILS graduation requirement is 100 hours over four years, students can accomplish that by volunteering on a mission trip, most of which typically take place over a seven-day period.
A Blue Missions Service Trip costs an average of $1,350* per participant plus a Community Contribution Fee of $650 (water projects) or $450 (sanitation or filter projects). The trip costs include round-trip airfare from Miami to the Dominican Republic, travel insurance, food, and transportation.
“Spending a week in the Dominican Republic with Blue Missions was an eye-opener. The people there were happy and grateful for everything they had. Regardless, of their circumstances the kids, especially left a lasting impression on me, as they never failed to put a smile on my face and everyone else’s. It truly made me appreciate everything I am blessed to have,” said junior Natalia Sabbagh.
TYPICAL WORK DAY AT BLUE MISSIONS
Wake up early, get dressed and meet at the breakfast table. Prior to eating breakfast, our leaders go through a morning meditation. After eating, cleaning up, and filling up all canteens and water bottles, the group heads out to work. Work consists of digging trenches, mixing cement, carrying pipe, gluing pipe, building a latrine house, working to construct the tank, etc. In the early afternoon, we take a break for lunch and an afternoon activity to understand the culture and community a bit more. After the immersive experience, we head out to work again for a short period in the afternoon. When the work day is done, we head back to our sleeping headquarters to shower and get ready for dinner. Some nights we have reunions. We may do a house visit, or just gather around someone’s front porch to play dominos and dance bachata. https://www.bluemissions.org.
“Blue Missions was an unforgettable experience that changed my perspective on how I see things. I met wonderful people on this trip, and made amazing memories that I will never forget. Just seeing the happiness from the community made everything worth it. I will always be grateful for having the opportunity to go on the trip and make an impact on the community,” said junior Dafna Law.
In 2010, siblings Danny Rodriguez and Nicole Rodriguez founded Blue Missions as a way to contribute their personal drop in the bucket. They believed that people, united, could improve water accessibility all around the world.
As demand grew for mission spots, so did their impact. Every year Blue Missions plans multiple service trips where youth help build sanitation stations to give people access to clean water. These trips not only aid multiple communities, they also broaden the views of the younger generation. Blue Missions has become a well known non-profit as it continues to make a positive impact.
