Program Profile
 Our Partners
Latest Results
Critical Needs
The bateyes (former sugarcane plantation communities) of the regions of San Cristobal and West Santo Domingo were the centre of the sugar cane production for more than 100 years and home to thousands of families of largely Haitian descent. They worked on the plantations until the industry went into demise and was then wiped out by Hurricane Georges in 1998. Over the years Haitians crossed the border both illegally and with the both governments' unofficial consent to cut cane for wages much lower than Dominicans were prepared to work for. Over the years those Haitians settled in the bateyes. Generations of children have been born there but not recognized by the Dominican government so that they can have no legal claim to citizenship, a practice that is in direct contradiction to international law and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). There is widespread racism against Haitians and the batey communities, and the government has essentially ignored their existence and provided no services to the communities or people who live there. Growing circumstances of poverty throughout the Dominican Republic have meant poor Dominican families have also moved into those areas creating culturally mixed communities. Our program functions in six bateyes and six non- batey communities of similar circumstances of severe poverty. Children in these communities live in minimal housing with poor sanitation systems and access to drinking water, have no areas for recreation, nor opportunities for stimulation and schooling. They suffer frequently from diarrhea, respiratory infections, malnutrition and have means of receiving medical attention for serious illnesses. Parents have low levels of education, literacy and little information about supportive and stimulating child-rearing practices. The need for integrated ECD services is overwhelming.
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 Program Description
This program integrates health, nutrition, education, family involvement, community mobilization and advocacy at the regional level. Our program provides training for ECE facilitators and for health promoters, a mobile immunization clinic, oral re-hydration centres, health referral system, and parenting support groups. The early childhood education programs for children include environmental awareness building and a cultural program that teaches children tolerance and appreciation of their diverse ethnic backgrounds. Parents of young children in the Early Education centres belong to a circle that meets to receive support that will help them develop their parenting skills at home. All of these services are delivered in each of 12 small communities, six of which are benefiting from Early Education centres for the very first time as a result of the partnership with Pueblito.
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Projected Results - 2004 - 2006
Over the next two years, the Program will benefit over 500 children 0-6 years in early education centres, 1000 children in need of health services, 60 facilitators in Early Childhood Education, 40 health promoters, 375 parents and 13 ECD organizations in the Dominican Republic .
OUR PARTNERS
UJEDO - Pueblito's Partner
The mission of UJEDO (Union of Ecumenical Dominican Youth) is to fight poverty by combating its root causes through a multi-pronged approach that involves community building and education, Early Childhood Education, community health, environment and agricultural development, and cultural development and appreciation. Founded in the 1940's as an evangelical church youth group, today their work embraces diversity in people and welcomes all members regardless of religious background. While Ujedo works with entire communities they focus their actions around young children, adolescents and women. They see children as the centre of community development and the base for human development. This partnership replaces the Dominican program with former partner CEDECO who was not interested in pursuing Pueblito's focus on ECD when the previous project finished in June 2003. Pueblito made contact with Ujedo in 2002 during an investigative trip to the DR in search of a new strategic partner and selected UJEDO because of their base knowledge of integrated ECD practice, their commitment to young children, and their strategic position as coordinators of a Dominican ECD network.
 Capacity Building
UJEDO coordinates a network of the 13 child-focused NGO's in the region and consults with local municipalities in order to advocate for better services for young children. Our ECD capacity building with UJEDO aims to strengthen the partner's work and feed into that network. The capacity building plan for UJEDO is being defined during this pilot year of the partnership but initial dialogue and preliminary needs assessment from the partner indicate that they are interested in developing the theoretical base of their work as well as a parenting curriculum with technical support from Pueblito. Professional development provided by Pueblito will also be shared with the network of 13 ECD organizations having an even greater impact on ECD in the Dominican Republic. UJEDO's experience in the delivery of integrated services will also be used as a capacity building resource for other Pueblito partners.
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LATEST RESULTS
Dominican Republic - Heart of the Community
January – June 2004
Early Education Centres
The school year came to a close in June 2004 and our 12 centres successfully finished the year, all celebrating with their young children in field trips organized by the parent committees to local monuments or the beach. By the end of the year 644 young children had attended the 12 centres during the school year. Pueblito's Director of Programs traveled to visit the project twice this year, in January and in June and made visits to each centre to meet the facilitators and children as well as families in the communities. The communities of the six new centres were especially proud to have their centres functioning well.
The final 2 training workshops of the year were held, although twice they were rescheduled because of storms and rain. Our partners are exploring the concept of how to achieve quality programs in impoverished communities where resources are very limited.
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Primary Health Care
Despite the many logistical difficulties encountered in conducting a vaccination campaign, our partners participated in a national campaign which reached more than 1000 children in the spring of 2004.
Supporting Families
In the last six months another 66 parents/primary caregivers have joined the parenting circles bringing the total number of participants to 146. Parents met every month to share ideas and reflect on the results of the study of child rearing practices undertaken by our partner. Parents identified non violent discipline techniques as an area they very much wanted to learn more about. Our partners are helping families identify the risks their children face growing up in poverty and how to offset some of those risks. For example where caregivers work long days and have little quality time to spend with their children, our parenting circles reinforce the importance of making some special time to give to children to forge a close relationship and give children the security of adult love.
Community Involvement
During a Pueblito visit to the Dominican Republic in January 2004, the local municipalities came together to declare their support for Pueblito's participation in the Heart of the Community program in the Dominican Republic . Our partner continues to lobby local authorities for their support for early education centres and the protection of child rights which may be addressed in a regional 10 year plan for young children in an initial planning stage pending the outcomes of the national elections in May.
PAST RESULTS
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