Project Launch:

El Cano is a community of 1,000 people in the bateys, a sugar cane community mostly inhabited by people of Haitian descent. The bateys house some of the most impoverished and marginalized communities in the Dominican Republic. Many people do not have proper documentation, preventing them from attending school past the eighth grade, being legally employed, or leaving the country to visit family and friends.

 

This project is designed to help residents of El Cano obtain their proper documentation. The local Youth Group will organize a community-wide presentation to address the technical details of getting one's documents, going step-by-step through the process. They will also conduct house visits to provide information to families in less accessible areas. A Documentation Drive will be held at the Community Center for residents to meet with trained officials to go through a checklist of what to accomplish in order to obtain their documents. This project will enable families to learn the steps that need to be taken so that in the future, every child can be documented correctly, providing them with limitless opportunities.

 

Project Update

More than 15 families attended the Documentation Drive, where they learned the necessarily steps needed to obtain proper documentation. Through this project, 32 people were able to obtain their birth certificates.

 

Testimonials

"Thank to this project, we were able to change the lives of kids forever! Many kids were able to finally achieve their birth certificate, allowing them many new opportunities." - Zach, Peace Corps Volunteer