The Ministry of Labor and Pro-joven Dominicano, a non-governmental organization, have carried out field work that has resulted in sending 150 children, ages seven to 14 back to school. The children had been working full time in Constanza farms. Minister of Labor Rafael Alburquerque said that they have plans to send back to school about 300 children in the Constanza mountain valley area. It is estimated that 75% of the nation’s vegetables come from Constanza. Pro-Joven Dominicano is implementing the Program for the Eradication and Prevention of Child Labor (IPEC), with the support of the International Labor Organization. The program calls for the detecting of child laborers and follow-through to make their parents aware of benefits of sending their children to school. Listín Diario journalists interviewed one seven year old boy, Pedrito, who expressed his concern that if he goes to school he will not be able to help his mother. But when the mother was interviewed, she said she is now aware that her son will be more productive if he gets an education. She explained that she herself worked the fields and took her children with her, and that’s how they got started in the work. The children that were sent to school live in the areas of Chorro, Arroyo Arriba and El Cercado. The program also makes available small loans to the parents of the children so they can set up their own small businesses and increase their resources, not having to resort to sending their children to work on the fields. The farm children were provided with school uniforms and school books.
