Building homes in the Dominican Republic

Ramona Jaquez, who was having a home built by WestJet volunteers and local contractors in a project operated by Live Different, in the impoverished community of Aguas Negra in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Saturday, April 14, 2012.
It’s been over a month, but here are a collection of images and a couple videos from an assignment Herald reporter Jamie Komarnicki and I were sent on in Puerto Plata on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic.
In April, 50 WestJet volunteers spent 10 days working with local contractors to build five new houses in the impoverished community of Aguas Negra in a project called Hero Holiday, operated by Canadian based humanitarian aid agency Live Different.
As well as the homes work site and the community of Aguas Negra, we visited a local garbage dump where Haitian refugees scrounge out a living picking through the tourist destination’s trash.
On a personal/technical note, some of my favourite images from the assignment have a lot of empty, seemingly pointless, space.
I’m sometimes guilty of shooting, or editing, my images quite tight – a possible result of rushing through daily assignments for publication in a newspaper. It’s a simple way to give images impact. But it’s not always best.
Working the same assignment for a few days was very freeing. Wish I could do it more often.
Oh, and no flash! Didn’t even unpack it from my suitcase. Great!
All images ©2012 Stuart Gradon, Calgary Herald
WestJet employees, from left, Sara Foster and Sarah Speedie assist in the building of five homes for impoverished families in Aguas Negra, a community in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Friday, April 13, 2012.

Ramona Jaquez, in her, under construction, home.

Pablo Santana, 31, and Kenia Polanco, 25, help build their home.

A WestJet employee surveys her work on a home.

Rosa “Rosie” Joshephina Peyols assists in the building of her home.
WestJet employee Alicja Rosnowski works on a home.

Maria Del Carmen Salsuela, the mother of one of the impoverished families who’s having a house built.

The work site.

WestJet employees mix plaster at the work site.

Ramona Jaquez, in her, under construction, home.

Haitans working in Sosua dump:
Haitian refugee Menor picks recyclable bottles for money at a garbage dump near Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Friday, April 13, 2012.
WestJet employee Sarah Gauthier-Turner helps Haitian Menor (unknown lastname) pick recyclable bottles for money at a garbage dump.
Victor Antonio Ynoa, the ‘Jefe’ or boss, of a garbage dump.
 
The community of Aguas Negra:

Children of Aguas Negra, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

Sandra Tineo, described by some as the Mother Theresa of Aguas Negra, knocks on the door of a home in the impoverished community of Aguas Negra in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
Tomaza Polanco, a grandmother and resident of Agraus Negra, breaks down while recounting the difficulties of dealing with water in her home the night before.

Sandra Tineo, described by some as the Mother Theresa of Aguas Negra, comforts Tomaza Polanco, a grandmother and resident of Agraus Negra, who broke down while recounting the difficulties of dealing with water in her home the night before.

Children of Aguas Negra, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

A child in Aguas Negra, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

Aguas Negra, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

Children of Aguas Negra, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

A child in Aguas Negra, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

Children of Aguas Negra, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

Children of Aguas Negra, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
A woman, who works as a seamstress, in her home in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

Children of Aguas Negra, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
Grandmother and grandson in Aguas Negra, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.

The front page and inside spread layout for the paper.

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