During the autumn of 2009, the SOFIA Association sent 2 trainees to the Dominican Republic

In September 2009 trainees went to the Dominican Republic. Trainees can choose between working at a school, a kindergarten or in a restaurant, and rent either in the small mountain village of Rio Limpio, or in the capital Santo Domingo.

Rio Limpio

Rio Limpio is a small village located in the mountains near the border of Haiti. In and around Rio Limpio there are 5 leisure schools and a kindergarten, all run with inspiration from Waldorf education. In a leisure school where children of school age get to work artistically and creatively, they can sing, play, dance, bake, paint and listen to stories. Activities often involve the village and its culture and traditions. For the smaller children there is the kindergarten, which has 20 students. Trainees also participate in teacher-training group's results. Trainees are provided with in daily practice with their mentor, and are encouraged to introduce artistic exercises, needlework, new games, stories, poems and songs, and more.

Rio Limpio’s Youth Group

The cultural educational program PCE "Programa Educativo Cultural" in Rio Limpio, a youth group that meets in the village's cultural center to engage in activities like: theater improvisation, traditional dances, hikes in the mountains with overnight stays in the open air and cooking over an open fire. The Youth group has a partnership with the trainees, and the village's young people are excited about spending time with trainees and coming up with new ideas for their business.

Restaurant and renting

The village also has a small restaurant that rents out to tourists and other visitors. The trainees would help with day to day chores in the restaurant which can include cooking Dominican food, cleaning, washing and helping to create a pleasant environment.

Santo Domingo

In the capital Santo Domingo, trainees work in the "los Guachiritos" kindergarten, which has about 30 children and is located in one of Santo Domingo's poorest neighbourhoods. Los Mina Trainees may also have the opportunity to participate in the Programa Maestro Creativo sessions on the Waldorf pedagogy.