Habitat for Humanity - Dominican Republic

A brick mason from Canada uses his vacation to lend his skills to help build a Habitat home. A large portion of the construction for Habitat is done by volunteers. Both International and Local teams assist in whatever ways they can.

San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican - 2010

International volunteers come to the Dominican to give oftheir time, strength and money to help keep housing costsdown for families in need.


Habitat for Humanity is a very well-respected NGO in the communities. Always eager to participate in Habitatprojects, some school kids hitch a ride on the back of a Habitat truck.


Finding adequate tools is not always easy in the Dominican andlocal tradesmen use whatever tools they can �nd.

For example, a team of men use a self-made “guinche”, a gas powered contraption that mixes concrete and then lifts it onto the roof to pour into the forms above.


According to Habitat, more than 1 million Dominican families live in sub-standard housing. Families are often forced to construct their homes with salvaged materials. The result is an unstable shack incapable of withstanding the hurricanes that plague the island each fall.


A local site supervisor bends rebar, which is used to reinforce the concrete blocks that Habitat uses in the constructionof every home. By reinforcing the concrete, the houses are stronger and better able to withstand earthquakes.


After mixing the concrete, the guinche lifts the mixturethrough the tower. A second member of the team releases the mixture and pours it into the wooden forms for the roof.


As the sun sets, family members gather around a newly inaugurated Habitat home. Community members and friendsgather at Habitat inaugurations to celebrate with the recipient family.


Habitat National Director, Hector Fernandez, and a fellow board member (far right) cut the inaugural ribbon of a home in San Juan. The homeowner is a single mother of four daughters. This is her �rst time ever owning a home.


Habitat National Director, Hector Fernandez, addresses the the crowd gathered at the inauguration ceremony for nine families. Habitat advocates that a safe and secure home is a fundamental right of all families. However, most families are unable to access bank �nancing to either buy or build their own homes. Habitat assists these families own their own homes through volunteer labour, donated materials, and by negotiating low interest rates from �nancial donors.

Barahona, Dominican - 2010

During colonialism, European powers instituted thecultivation of sugar throughout the colonies, one of which was the Dominican Republic

Sugar production has remained a signi�cant portion of the Dominican economy even until today. Despite the �nancialcontribution to the Dominican GDP, the living conditions in the sugar cane �elds are among the worst in the country.

Those who work the �elds also live on the very same plantations. They form communities called batays. Most batays are made up of illegal immigrants from Haiti and are entirely creole speaking. San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican - 2010

The inauguration ribbon is cut during a ceremony to celebrate the dedication of a Habitat home. Since it opened its doorsin the Dominican in 1986, Habitat has helped over 3400 families access digni�ed housing either by new home constructionsor through improvement projects.


The majority of Habitat housing constructions are single-family dwellings. However, Habitat developed a pilot project in Nagua in which they constructed �ve apartment buildings and two individual housing units. 22 familiesin total bene�ted from the project.

Nagua, Dominican - 2010

The youth who live on sugar cane plantations have little to no opportunity apart from continuing in the work oftheir parents - cultivating sugar cane for global export. There is no schooling available to them and often timesthey do not speak the local spanish language since many of the families are illegal Haitian immigrants. In these conditionsit is nearly impossible for young people to break the cycle of poverty that has a�icted their families for generations.

San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican - 2010

Despite living in some of the worst housing conditions on the island and after having worked in a sugar cane plantationpresumably for his entire life, this man lends me his earnest smile.


Joy is evident on the face of a woman as she receives her portion of the inaugural ribbon. Without Habitat, many of these families would never have the means to a�ord a home of their own.


A brick mason from Canada uses his vacation to lend his skills to help build a Habitat home. A large portion of the construction for Habitat is done by volunteers. Both International and Local teams assist in whatever ways they can.


Finding adequate tools is not always easy in the Dominican andlocal tradesmen use whatever tools they can �nd.

For example, a team of men use a self-made “guinche”, a gas powered contraption that mixes concrete and then lifts it onto the roof to pour into the forms above.


During colonialism, European powers instituted thecultivation of sugar throughout the colonies, one of which was the Dominican Republic

Sugar production has remained a signi�cant portion of the Dominican economy even until today. Despite the �nancialcontribution to the Dominican GDP, the living conditions in the sugar cane �elds are among the worst in the country.

Those who work the �elds also live on the very same plantations. They form communities called batays. Most batays are made up of illegal immigrants from Haiti and are entirely creole speaking. San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican - 2010

After mixing the concrete, the guinche lifts the mixturethrough the tower. A second member of the team releases the mixture and pours it into the wooden forms for the roof.


Habitat for Humanity is a very well-respected NGO in the communities. Always eager to participate in Habitatprojects, some school kids hitch a ride on the back of a Habitat truck.


According to Habitat, more than 1 million Dominican families live in sub-standard housing. Families are often forced to construct their homes with salvaged materials. The result is an unstable shack incapable of withstanding the hurricanes that plague the island each fall.


The inauguration ribbon is cut during a ceremony to celebrate the dedication of a Habitat home. Since it opened its doorsin the Dominican in 1986, Habitat has helped over 3400 families access digni�ed housing either by new home constructionsor through improvement projects.


The youth who live on sugar cane plantations have little to no opportunity apart from continuing in the work oftheir parents - cultivating sugar cane for global export. There is no schooling available to them and often timesthey do not speak the local spanish language since many of the families are illegal Haitian immigrants. In these conditionsit is nearly impossible for young people to break the cycle of poverty that has a�icted their families for generations.


Joy is evident on the face of a woman as she receives her portion of the inaugural ribbon. Without Habitat, many of these families would never have the means to a�ord a home of their own.

Barahona, Dominican - 2010 Despite living in some of the worst housing conditions on the island and after having worked in a sugar cane plantationpresumably for his entire life, this man lends me his earnest smile.


Habitat National Director, Hector Fernandez, and a fellow board member (far right) cut the inaugural ribbon of a home in San Juan. The homeowner is a single mother of four daughters. This is her �rst time ever owning a home.


The majority of Habitat housing constructions are single-family dwellings. However, Habitat developed a pilot project in Nagua in which they constructed �ve apartment buildings and two individual housing units. 22 familiesin total bene�ted from the project.

Nagua, Dominican - 2010

Habitat National Director, Hector Fernandez, addresses the the crowd gathered at the inauguration ceremony for nine families. Habitat advocates that a safe and secure home is a fundamental right of all families. However, most families are unable to access bank �nancing to either buy or build their own homes. Habitat assists these families own their own homes through volunteer labour, donated materials, and by negotiating low interest rates from �nancial donors.


As the sun sets, family members gather around a newly inaugurated Habitat home. Community members and friendsgather at Habitat inaugurations to celebrate with the recipient family.


A local site supervisor bends rebar, which is used to reinforce the concrete blocks that Habitat uses in the constructionof every home. By reinforcing the concrete, the houses are stronger and better able to withstand earthquakes.


International volunteers come to the Dominican to give oftheir time, strength and money to help keep housing costsdown for families in need.


Documents

Habitat for Humanity - Dominican Republic