Second “Manos Dominicanas” Shop Opens in Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo

Second “Manos Dominicanas” Shop Opens in Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 9/18/ 2011

The pieces on display were made by artisans from the Progresando families around the country as well as independent artisans associated in federations or groups.

The opening ceremony was presided over by Dominican First Lady Margarita Cedeño de Fernández and José Rafael Lantigua, Minister of Culture.

With the purpose of contributing to the personal and economic development of hundreds of women in the Progresando program, the Office of the First Lady (DPD in Spanish) and the Ministry of Culture formally inaugurated the second Manos Dominicanas (Dominican Hands) shop in Santo Domingo, on Atarazana St. No. 7 in the Colonial Zone.

The opening ceremony was presided over by Dominican First Lady Margarita Cedeño de Fernández and José Rafael Lantigua, Minister of Culture. Members of both government organizations and people connected to the artisan groups were also present. The shop was blessed by Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo, Monsignor Francisco José Arnaiz.

As main speaker, Margarita Cedeño de Fernández said the opening of this second shop is a step forward for artisans of the Dominican Republic. She affirmed that this attractive shop, located in the Colonial Zone of the First City of the Americas, will be visited daily by thousands of tourists who will purchase the art work and crafts that are reflections of Dominican culture.

Cedeño de Fernández said during this period they have been able to train some 5,000 people as artisans and, with the support of the Government of Balearic Islands, they are benefitting another 546 people in 23 Artisan Production Units. She added that she is very satisfied to know that 323 artisans are currently involved in micro-businesses.

“These artisans, who support their families with their work, have managed to break the chains of poverty and exclusion by learning a skill that reaffirms their human dignity and makes them a productive part of society which supports the development of the country,” said the First Lady.
She went on to thank Culture Minister José Rafael Lantigua for the opportunity to work closely with the development and commercialization of this artistic handicraft work. Congratulating the artisans whose pieces will be sold in this shop, Cedeño de Fernández urged them to continue improving their work and preserving its excellence and quality.

This second Manos Dominicanas shop is exhibiting work done by artisans who belong to the Progresando program and who have received training from the DPD, in an initiative that has provided hundreds of women with the opportunity to learn a skill and earn money to help support their families. There are also pieces here made by independent artisans associated in federations or groups.

This second Manos Dominicanas shop is exhibiting work done by artisans who belong to the Progresando program and who have received training from the DPD, …

The shop is located in the Colonial Zone, where hundreds of tourists concentrate daily and where there is a large variety of handmade articles to be found, such as leather billfolds, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, coffee pots, lamps, cloth dolls and other types of items made from in wood, ceramic, marble, vegetable fiber, papier mache, horn, bone, clay, coconut shell, guano rope, natural seeds, amber, and larimar, among other material, Manos Dominicanas is an artisan brand created by the DPD with economic support from the government of the Balearic Islands, Spain, to incentivize local artisans to be more competitive and to produce sustainable and eco-friendly merchandise in accordance with current worldwide tendencies.

The Shop

Manos Dominicanas in the Colonial Zone is open to the public from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm from Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.

The art and craft work on display at the Manos Dominicanas shops are made by artisan family members of the Progresando program from the provinces of El Seibo, Samaná, Peravia, Monte Plata, Barahona and Sánchez, as well as the sectors of Haina, Boca Chica, Herrera, Capotillo, Villa Mella and Villa Juana.

For the past five years, the DPD has been working with the poorest communities in the country by providing training and technical assistance and by installing a commercial network which is benefitting the local producers of handicrafts.

One of the major achievements of the Manos Dominicanas artisans has been to consolidate large scale purchase orders with the main buyers of handicrafts in the country, the Grupo Ramos and the Almacenes El Frutal.