Following the screening of the film, Jennifer Arnold, the Producer, led a discussion panel in which students of the region participated enthusiastically.

A Small Act, an inspiring documentary by producer Jennifer Arnold, shows the ripple effect a single act can have in a life. It was screened at the Mauricio Báez Club in Villa Juana, followed by a discussion panel.

The documentary presents the story of Chris Mburu, who decides to find the stranger (Hilde Back) who changed his life by giving him a scholarship that allowed him to graduate from Harvard with a law degree.

Chris begins his own scholarships program in a primary school in Kenya and names it after his benefactor.

The best students in the Mukubu primary school are exactly in the same position in which Chris once was. They are bright but cannot afford the luxury of paying school fees. Chris attempts to help but the program turns out to be small and the students struggle to qualify.

A Small Act won in the category Women in Film National Geographic All Roads Film Project; and the Elle/Garnier Film Independent Directing Fellowship.

The panel was led by the producer of the film, Jennifer Arnold, who shared her experiences with the audience, mostly students, who participated enthusiastically.

Arnold explained that they recorded in a language nobody understood, which was difficult, but despite all this, in the end everything went perfect.

"Whoever you are, young or old, whether poor or rich, you can do something small and make a big impact," said Arnold. She said that after making the documentary film, everything has changed and that Chris Mburu’s Hilde Back Foundation can sponsor some 300 students. She hoped that other institutions will be motivated to donate scholarships to needy students.

Ginny Freites moderated the panel, in which Janina Segura, Human Resources Coordinator of the Center for Agricultural and Forestry Development, also participated by highlighting the work of her institution in the field of education. "We have 84 low-income youth studying at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica Madre y Maesta (PUCMM) with a scholarship, pursuing a degree in ecology and environmental education," she said.

She also noted that the documentary has made her feel more integrated in the work she does since that reality can be felt in many communities in the Dominican Republic. "Education is what opens the door to success," she proclaimed.

Leo Corporán, Founder and President of the Mauricio Baez Foundation, thanked the panelists for their participation in the panel, especially Jennifer Arnold, and the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development for its initiative to hold it in this community.

By Magnolia Almanzar

See more photos on Panels section, Nov. 19>