Beauty Queen changes her world view after humanitarian trip

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By KJ Mullins

Apr 15, 2010 in Environment

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By KJ Mullins.

Bayaguana - When Kristen Dalton, Miss USA 2009, went to Bayaguana, Dominican Republic with Children International in an effort to raise awareness about the lack of clean water she was life changing.

Children International was in the village to clean the Los Pomos River, the primary water source. Dalton said that many families in the area have to walk for hours to find water that is safe to drink and then that water is contaminated by animals or insects.

Dalton worked along side 30 members of Children International’s Youth Health Corps, a group of peer educators teaching their community how to make healthy decisions, and 36 contestants of the Miss Dominican Republic Universe pageant removing trash from in and around the river.

After the clean-up and lunch the group gave out water jugs and bleach. The group then went to a village where poverty reigned. The dirt-floored huts and hungry children touched Dalton deeply.

“I met so many children whose families are extremely poor. The village I saw was just a really tiny area of extremely small, wooden or tin huts. The floors are dirt, and many kids do not have beds. It makes me think twice before complaining about the stresses and worries in my life. I have spent mornings worrying about what I’m going to wear. This community is are worried about finding clean drinking water and staying healthy since they do not have access to healthcare. Knowing and seeing the differences in our daily stresses frames my perspective and reminds me not to worry about trivial things. I hope by sharing my experience in Bayaguana, others are inspired into action as well,” Dalton said in a press release obtained by Digital Journal.

Children's International was founded in 1936 in Kansas City, Missouri. Their programs benefit more than 335,000 children in 11 countries around the world including Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Zambia, Honduras, India, the Philippines and the United States.