Best Non-Profit or Agency working in the DR?

minerva_feliz

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What are your top picks for the best national or international NGOs, government agencies or religious missions working in community development in the DR?

The criteria could be: reputation, impact, sustainability, works with local population, scale of efforts, time operating in country, focus of work, or whatever you think makes it the best.

Also, which of those could foreigners/expats living here who want to do something support and how? :cool:
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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Caritas would be on anyone's list.

Sur Futuro

Plan Sierra

Proyecto Ebano Verde


HB
 

las2137

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The organization I work for supports projects with several local NGOs. The ones listed below are ones I have found to be great in terms of administration and finances, as well as attending to their beneficiaries' needs.

-Caritas (although depends greatly on the diocesan branch)

-CENSEL (Centro de Servicio Legales para la Mujer, based in Santo Domingo, working with survivors of dmoestic violence and all gender-based violence)

-Accion Callejera (Santiago-based, works with street children and out-of-school children to get them back in school)

-Servicio Jesuita a Refugiados y Migrantes (technically international NGO; based in SDQ; working with all migrants and refugees, mostly- but not limited to- Haitian)
................
Have not worked with but have heard good things about:
-DREAM

-Mustard Seeds Communities (I have worked with them in Jamaica, so I can't comment on their operation here. However, I know them to be extremely dedicated and take in the kids that NO ONE wants, especially handicapped who have been abandoned or families who can't take care of them.)
................
As far as helping, it varies from organization to organization. These days, most organizations need cold hard cash more than anything- donating money, in my opinion, is the best way for people to help these local organizations. Help organize a fundraiser among your expat community.

However, I realize that is not always satisfying to the person donating, so I would suggest that ex-pats living here- not tourists- can best contribute to strengthening the sustainability of these organizations, especially if they have a professional background that might be of use to the organization. For example, if you are an accountant by trade, help the organization set up an effective accounting system. If you have computer or marketing experience, help design a web page.
 
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El_Uruguayo

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Dec 7, 2006
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Sonrisas, or the Fundacion para la salud bucal de los ninos - in English its called teh smiles foundation. They have practically free dental clinics for children, and also run computer schools. They have clinics in Higuey, Santiago, Puerto Plata, Villa Mella, Herrera, Los Rios, and Pantoja. They give thousands of children much needed dental work, and also teach nutrition. You can help by donating cash, or by donating materials, dental supplies, or computer equipment. They run their clinics with equipment primarily donated from Canadians. They do good stuff.
 

Hillbilly

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I should have thought of Mustard Seed and Integraci?n Juvenil in POP Excellent work.

Beyond the Beach is another one.

These that have been mentioned are really solid...like Childrn's International,too.

HB
 

Chirimoya

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Dec 9, 2002
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I only know the ones I've seen in action, like Plan International, and they do very good work towards reducing dependency and helping people get the skills and knowledge that they need to pull themselves out of poverty and claim what's due to them.

I also have a lot of respect for Mujer y Salud, especially on the advocacy side of things.

There are others, like Interm?n - especially their work on disaster preparedness/risk reduction, a couple of Italian agencies and their local partners in community-oriented eco-tourism initiatives in Salcedo and Saman?, and too many to mention - in the category of local organisations working in campos and barrios that I've come across over the 12+ years I've been involved in development work in this country. Of the religious ones, the Jesuits and CRS are worth mentioning.

Best way to help - depends what your interests/priorities are, but I recommend any of the ones named above.

I won't name the ones I think are little more than self-serving mechanisms to keep their executives and their friends and family in employment, but unfortunately there are a few national organisations and national branches of international organisations that fall into that category. :(
There are also several that may appear to "help" but really just prop up the status quo by maintaining people's helplessness and dependency - what is known in Spanish as asistencialismo.
 

Lambada

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I know about Integracion Juvenil & would second what was said above; financial resources are always needed and used to good effect. They certainly have at least one expat on their committee. Mustard Seed likewise could use donations but might well accept professional help from those expats with knowledge of working with people who have profound handicaps. Local staff are extremely dedicated but haven't necessarily had the benefit of specialised training - any expat volunteering services would, of course, need to be considerate about not appearing to 'know better'. La Profe is the DR1 member with extensive knowledge of the Hogar Immanuel near Puerto Plata.
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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The White Cross is a fine, helpful no-nonsense organization.
 

MikeFisher

The Fisherman/Weather Mod
Feb 28, 2006
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great thread.
the by HB mentioned Beyond The Beach Childrens Foundation is a good one, i assist them myself with my wife picking up donations brought in by their supporters and delivering them to schools/street kids/Orphanage home in Higuey aso.
they also assist local projects like the Dream Project, Mustard Seed, SosusKids and others.
their directors are mostly Canadians and americans and British people.
their website and contact addresses are found on
Beyond The Beach

keep the recommendations coming
Mike
 

MikeFisher

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and there are also people doing their little share in smaller amounts, but DOING it.
b/c even without an organisation every expat who is living on the Isle ha eyes to observe and a heart which tells him.her where some is needed.
everybody willing to do something can DO something.
30 minutes ago i found on the net a new website which i never saw before, i don't know that lady Amy which is running the private little project, but i left a message with my phonenumber to hook up and chat about what and where and why and how. it looks completely private, a private one person aid.
such is always possible.
check the site yourself on Meaningful Travel Punta Cana - Home
Mike
 

mountainannie

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Dec 11, 2003
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WOW// Thanks

and there are also people doing their little share in smaller amounts, but DOING it.
b/c even without an organisation every expat who is living on the Isle ha eyes to observe and a heart which tells him.her where some is needed.
everybody willing to do something can DO something.
30 minutes ago i found on the net a new website which i never saw before, i don't know that lady Amy which is running the private little project, but i left a message with my phonenumber to hook up and chat about what and where and why and how. it looks completely private, a private one person aid.
such is always possible.
check the site yourself on Meaningful Travel Punta Cana - Home
Mike

Shows what one woman can do... Thanks for posting, Mike.

FYI here is a list of the contents of school kits that some Quakers are beginning to assemble for Haiti. We devised the list in consultation with the person who is helping the school.

Student Kits
A recorder or harmonica
colored pencils
pencil sharpeners
notebooks with UNLINED paper
game of jacks w/ ball
playing cards
blunt cutting scissors
small nail clippers with the nail cleaner
toothbrush & toothpaste
small rubber bands for girl?s hair
hair Comb (pick)
hair Brush

Parents Kits
sewing needles
Coats and Clarke embroidery thread
needle threader
small embroidery scissors
reading glasses 2.0 MAG
small nail clippers with nail cleaner
a small penknife

Teacher Kits
colored chalk
stapler and staples
pencils & a sharpener
lined notebooks
a ledger book
 

minerva_feliz

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May 4, 2009
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International ones...

Here are 5 I think are good that haven't been mentioned (in no particular order :bunny:)

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
Japan International Cooperation Agency

Progressio (based in the UK)
Progressio - home

Peace Corps Dominican Republic (US)
Peace Corps in Dominican Republic
Local projects you could help fund: https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.donatenow

Plan International Dominican Republic
Plan Rep?blica Dominicana - Derechos de los Ni?os, Violencia Infantil, Abuso

Major League Baseball Dominican Development Alliance
Home

I'll save the Dominican ones for another post.
 

mountainannie

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Dec 11, 2003
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Peace Corps projects

Here are 5 I think are good that haven't been mentioned (in no particular order :bunny:)



Peace Corps Dominican Republic (US)
Peace Corps in Dominican Republic
Local projects you could help fund: https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.donatenow


I'll save the Dominican ones for another post.

I went to the Peace Corp page and looked a couple of the projects and they looked very interesting except that they did not give the name of the town or even the area.

I have made friends with several volunteers and have seen the work that they have done which has been very impressive but the problem is that the Peace Corps does not have a continuity with its volunteers or projects -- each volunteer starts from scratch, and one time a community may get an agricultural volunteer, another time a business volunteer.

This might be a really good thing for some of the DR1ers and Dominican diaspora people to get involved with. I have the name of the local Peace Corp project director and will set up a meeting with her to talk about this and see if we can perhaps at least get the name of the towns posted in the projects. then perhaps we get the contact names for the local person who is involved in the project

Then perhaps some of the Dominicans who are on this Board will have family or connections with some of the people in that region who can perhaps keep the project going.

The Peace Corps has been in this country longer than anywhere else in the world and has the most volunteers here.I think that we can also make very strong connections with the former peace corps volunteers who have been here who all seem to have very warm feelings for the place.

I think that this might end up being a very good way for people who are coming to visit the country for a short time to plug in and help for a time. Every time that I have had dealings with the Peace Corps volunteers, they have been delighted to see me. Mostly they are on their own, in a remote area, and delighted to see another English speaker.

Minerva... This may be just what I have been looking for!! Since so many of the agencies here are really professional agencies, and don't know how to make use of volunteers, there is no room for people who just want to plug in for a couple of weeks or a month.

THANKS!!
 

mountainannie

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Dec 11, 2003
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Try the National Peace Corps Association. There have a country group called Friends of the Dominican Republic.


If you do end up meeting with PC and make progress I'd be very curious to hear your results.

Great link, LAS, Thanks, Already found one project that is really interesting, see this one
Building Homes Building Hope - Trip Information

It is amazing what one can do while hanging out on DR1 all morning not writing the article one is supposed to be writing waiting for the lawyer to call for going to get the chest xray for the residencia and no longer waiting for the refridgerator repair man who is not coming til tomorrow
and one is completely in denial about the fact that one has not eaten
and there is no food in the house.....
oh there must be something
 

TheHoagster

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Jun 15, 2008
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I went to the Peace Corp page and looked a couple of the projects and they looked very interesting except that they did not give the name of the town or even the area.

I have made friends with several volunteers and have seen the work that they have done which has been very impressive but the problem is that the Peace Corps does not have a continuity with its volunteers or projects -- each volunteer starts from scratch, and one time a community may get an agricultural volunteer, another time a business volunteer.

This might be a really good thing for some of the DR1ers and Dominican diaspora people to get involved with. I have the name of the local Peace Corp project director and will set up a meeting with her to talk about this and see if we can perhaps at least get the name of the towns posted in the projects. then perhaps we get the contact names for the local person who is involved in the project

Then perhaps some of the Dominicans who are on this Board will have family or connections with some of the people in that region who can perhaps keep the project going.

The Peace Corps has been in this country longer than anywhere else in the world and has the most volunteers here.I think that we can also make very strong connections with the former peace corps volunteers who have been here who all seem to have very warm feelings for the place.

I think that this might end up being a very good way for people who are coming to visit the country for a short time to plug in and help for a time. Every time that I have had dealings with the Peace Corps volunteers, they have been delighted to see me. Mostly they are on their own, in a remote area, and delighted to see another English speaker.

Minerva... This may be just what I have been looking for!! Since so many of the agencies here are really professional agencies, and don't know how to make use of volunteers, there is no room for people who just want to plug in for a couple of weeks or a month.

THANKS!!

I'm a former PCV in the DR. Peace Corps will not post, nor will allow posting, of where volunteers are living in the DR for volunteer safety.

To clear up some confusion around PCV projects, volunteers work with government agencies and other non-profit organizations in the DR -- and volunteers are useful to those agencies. Government agencies and non-profit organizations can solicit for a volunteer in a particular Peace Corps focus area (e.g. education, business, water, youth.....) and it is very competitive for an organization to be selected. Volunteers have a specific work assignment (e.g. helping coffee farmers obtain organic certification so they can export coffee).

In addition, depending on what stage of development the project is at when the volunteer leaves, the VOLUNTEER helps to determine if the community/project needs a follow-up volunteer. There are MANY projects that receive follow-on volunteers. But, many times the project is completed OR the community takes on the responsibility to make sure the project continues to function. After all, Peace Corps is about creating sustainability (i.e. facilitating community members involvement throughout the life cycle of the project so that a project functions without the volunteer).
 
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Is DED - a German agency - still operational in the country? They were always well resourced and gave the impression of achieving something.
 
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One of the good things about Progressio (a UK based agency) is that most of their recruits for projects in the DR are from other Latin American countries. Although Peace Corp and other agencies have some great intentions unless the volunteer speaks the language and understands the culture you can spend a lot of time achieving very little.
 

Chirimoya

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I was a Progressio cooperante back when they were called ICD. Even then a good proportion of my colleagues were Latin Americans, but the ones who didn't know Spanish before coming to work in the DR learned it PDQ because they are truly immersed in the language.

When I arrived at my project, the people I met asked me: "Are you Ecuadorian?" - No, I said. They looked again. "Are you from Scotland?" - those having been my two predecessors. Mind you, I was once asked whether I was from Finland when visiting a project in Nicaragua, for the exact same reason.