“Participate jofyully in the sorrows of the world.
We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.”
I was on an all-day excursion to Saona Island off the coast of the Dominican Republic. A perfect 90-degree day, gliding on a speed boat across the clear, turquoise blue water, drinking rum and cokes, talking, laughing with a group of people from all over. On the boat, I met a wonderful couple traveling from Germany. One of the most pleasurable things about traveling is befriending people you would otherwise never meet in this lifetime.
The randomness of those encounters is fascinating; a true spice of life.
Steffi and Marco were on vacation for 2 weeks, they are from Magdeburg, about a 2-hour drive from Berlin. Super cool, engaging couple that travels constantly and has a fervent zest for life. We spent the entire day together. While we were chatting over a typical Dominican rice and beans lunch, they told me that they were raising money for a chauffeur they met the day before.
It was such a uniquely human gesture of generosity that I thought it was a story worth sharing.
They had hired a private chauffeur to drive them around the island. Punta Cana is full of resorts, so to get a real taste of authentic Dominican life, one must travel outside of the all-inclusive walls. The driver’s name was Giovanni and unsurprisingly, there was an immediate rapport between them.
In the usual resort driver routine, he took them to all the typical tourist spots: shops with the same junk products and shitty restaurants with expensive food.
Steffi then asked Giovanni to take them where the locals live. Traveling from Germany, they want to experience real DR life; marinate in the culture, and get to know the people who live on the island. You really can’t say you’ve been somewhere if you chill inside your 5-star hotel the entire trip.
Giovanni drove them to his town in Verón, 30 minutes from the beach resorts. He invited them to his home for a family-style Dominican celebration that included a barbeque, drinking, and dancing. They took him up on the offer.
Giovanni and his family were from very modest means, and when I say very modest, they really had nothing at all. He told Steffi that their monthly income is around $300 USD, and his wife was recently unemployed due to Covid. It didn’t matter as they could not have been more generous. Giovanni and his family offered everything they had, barbequing all kinds of delicious local meats and vegetables while serving blended Caribbean cocktails and beer. Drunk on laughter, they danced merengue all day together.
Steffi and Marco experienced the rawest form of generosity. This family had practically nothing, living on the bare minimum, yet offered everything to these strangers who became friends.
When they got back to the hotel that night they decided to start a fundraiser to help Giovanni’s family.
They asked their friends in Germany to take part in the campaign via Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. They sent out a very simple message explaining the situation. The response was amazing; their people in Germany came through big time.
Giovanni had already invited Steffi and Marco back for a barbeque celebration at a private beach; and over the three days before the party, they raised $1200 USD! How cool is that?
With money in hand, Steffi announced what they did and how much they raised. Giovanni’s family couldn’t believe this German couple would care enough to pull this off. They cried and danced together; the party that night was a celebration of joy and gratitude.
The family can live on that money for 4 months…
Steffi said, “[They] never expected us to do something like this for them and said that we would have a family in the Dominican Republic forever.”
Imagine being Giovanni. Day after day, he drives tourists around from all over the world. Week in and week out, he takes them to the same spots, collects his tips, and repeats. Meeting Steffi and Marco was a moment of synchronicity that is a testament to the love that connects us all.
Later they found out that Giovanni had also lost his job. He never mentioned it because he didn’t want to spoil a great time.
Steffi and Giovanni.
This was such an impactful bit of kindness and compassion by a European couple visiting the Caribbean. With a little effort through the power of social media, they were able to mobilize their mates at home and carry out a life-changing act of charity for a family in true need. A big nod to all of their friends who donated to the cause.
Germans helping Dominicans in a beautiful gesture of goodwill. Their story serves as an inspiration that we can always give back no matter where we are in the world. Generosity is universal.
