Dominican Republic

A man outside a home in a 'batey' (settlement for people of Haitian origin) in the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a tourist paradise - white sandy beaches, sun loungers, and long cool drinks. But for most of the people who live here, the reality isn’t quite the same.

There’s a huge gulf between the rich and the poor. Add to this the fact that around one million people of Haitian origin or descent live in the DR – many without legal documentation – and you can get real social and racial problems.

But people here are absolutely determined to make a better life for themselves. It’s our job to help them find ways to do it.

Our development workers have supported a range of local partner organisations and amazingly, helped change the country’s constitution on really important issues like the rights of people living with HIV, and the rights of Dominican-Haitians.

We’ve been working hard on environmental issues too. We’ve supported our partners in helping introduce laws that promote organic farming, biodiversity and the protection of natural resources.

But laws on their own are not enough. People need the power to make changes in their own lives, and have their say on decisions that affect them.

That’s why we’ve helped local people and communities to participate in local development plans and implement community projects, through the participatory budgeting process.

One of our priorities now is to work in the border region between the DR and Haiti. In these areas, many disadvantaged people scratch out a living on the margins of society. People of Haitian origin or descent, in particular, face social, economic and racial discrimination on a daily basis. We aim to ensure they have opportunities to participate in development, build livelihoods and improve their quality of life.