Who are the people?
Europeans established the first permanent New World colony in the Dominican Republic. Although many Dominicans continue to preserve their Indian heritage, the folk culture has been shaped by European traditions as well as by the influence of Africans brought to the area as slaves. In some rural areas, African customs are particularly evident in the way people dress, eat, and build houses.

Dominicans are cheerful, hardworking, and community oriented, often forming strong bonds with their families and neighbors. Unfortunately, a shortage of employment opportunities causes many families to move from place to place in an effort to earn income to provide for their children.

One common way of making a living is to engage in small-scale business activities such as sewing, bread making, or bicycle repair. These types of microbusinesses constitute 33 percent of employment in the Dominican Republic.

Dominican families are generally large and may include cousins or foster children. Girls in impoverished communities often marry as teenagers. As a result, it is very likely that your sponsored child’s mother is quite young.
Europeans established the first permanent New World colony in the Dominican Republic. Although many

Country Comparison	Dominican Republic	United States
Population	8.7 million	295.4 million
Land Mass	18,680 sq. miles	3,537,439 sq. miles
Life Expectancy	68 years	78 years
Infant Mortality Rate (per 1,000)	27	7
Literacy Rate	88%	97%
Primary School Enrollment	92%	92%
Access to Safe Water	93%	100%
Average Annual Income (GNI per capita)	$2,080	$41,400

Religion

<

What is it like to live there?
The Dominican Republic is comprised of three main regions: the fertile valley of the north, bathed by the Yuna, Camu, and Northern Yaque rivers; the eastern agricultural plains dominated by sugarcane crops and cattle pastures; and the dry southwest region, which is the poorest, least fertile part of the country.

The Dominican Republic enjoys warm temperatures throughout the year, but the weather is coolest between December and March. Hurricanes often strike between June and September.

Although the country has experienced economic improvements in recent years, the poorest communities remain untouched by the changes. Families living in rural villages typically have minimal farming equipment and earn very little money from what they harvest. These families rarely own the land on which they live and work.

In the cities, many families face unemployment due to a lack of training. Many parents try to earn a living selling fruits and vegetables or working as gardeners, but it is difficult to earn sufficient income to meet the needs of their children. The country is home to more than 2.1 million people living below the poverty line. Most are located in Santa Domingo, the largest city in the Dominican Republic.
The Dominican Republic is comprised of three main regions: the fertile valley of the north, bathed
Dominican Republic Projects
With the support of generous donors like you, World Vision is partnering with families throughout Dominican Republic to build brighter futures filled with hope for their children.

Many activities are under way to help meet immediate needs and promote lasting changes that will strengthen communities and move families toward self-reliance.

Overall program goals include:

• Equipping families and communities to care for orphans and vulnerable children while providing life-skills training to those affected by the AIDS pandemic.
• Conducting immunization campaigns to protect boys and girls from potentially deadly diseases.
• Providing medical examinations and growth monitoring for sponsored children.
• Teaching mothers about hygiene, nutrition, and disease prevention.
• Equipping homes with latrines to improve sanitation conditions.
• Teaching families how to manage small businesses so they can increase their income and raise the standard of living for their children.
• Organizing Christian education workshops so people can learn more about God’s love.

• Pray that churches and families will respond to God's calling to care for orphans and widows, especially those affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
• Pray that your sponsored child might be open to hearing and receiving the Gospel of Jesus Christ and responding to God’s love and grace.
• Ask God to guide your sponsored child as he or she learns, grows, and moves toward a future full of hope and possibilities.
• Pray for God to protect the health of your sponsored child and his or her family.

Dominican Republic is participating in our "HopeChild" program to provide additional resources for children and families impacted by HIV/AIDS in this high prevalence region.