Dominican Republic, Jarabacoa

CONTEXT

Access to education in remote areas is an important issue in the Dominican Republic. Children in rural areas are more likely to become school dropouts. This is particularly due to the distance that children must travel to attend school.

Additionally, the Dominican Republic generally faces the problem of gender and sexual violence against girls and women. Many young girls miss school due to domestic responsibilities, and over 40% become teenage mothers. Poverty leads many young women to early marriage because they must improve their economic situation.

Los Maranitos is a small village situated next to Jarabacoa in the Dominican Republic. Families here live in extreme poverty and struggle to meet basic needs such as food, medical care, and shelter. Electricity is inconsistent and water is scarce. The secondary school is a 45 minutes’ walk away, and the children have to overcome the distance in mountainous terrain. Besides, public school is closed up to 5 months a year. This volatility causes many children never to acquire sufficient levels in necessary skills like reading and writing.

Before construction

After construction

Project Type

2 classrooms, offices, outside area, kitchen, lavatory

Construction Period:
January 2020 – April 2021

Budget

49.000 €

Children

150

Partner

Mariposa Foundation

Donor

RNT Rausch & Acronis

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

In cooperation with our implementing partner, Mariposa DR Foundation, a high-quality Educational Center in Los Maranitos was built to help children break the cycle of generational poverty. The Educational Center is a vital supplementary educational institution to the public schools in Los Maranitos. It is a safe place for young boys and girls to grow and meet their potential.

The public schools in Los Maranitos offer morning and afternoon shifts, and the Educational Center creates an additional curriculum to the school’s curriculum. The aim is to propose a comprehensive school program for all children, so they get the chance to gain sufficient educational skills finally. As young girls are often held back in their educational and personal growth, the Educational Center offers special programs for girls to increase their self-esteem as independent and educated individuals. But not only children attending classes in public school benefit from the Educational Center, also the community members in Los Maranitos are given access to participate in coeducational courses.