USAID and REDDOM Promote Coordination between Public and Private Institutions to Support Social and Economic Development in Southwest Region

USAID and REDDOM Promote Coordination between Public and Private Institutions to Support Social and Economic Development in Southwest Region
SanJuan, Dominican Republic 8/27/2013

REDDOM Foundation (REDDOM) has established working agreementswith three public entities and one agricultural producer organization with the aim of improving in a sustainable manner the living conditionsof families inselected communitiesin El Valle region (Southwest).  This will happenthrough increasedincome, better nutrition and hygienicpractices, as well as access to water and sanitation.

… the aim of improving in a sustainable manner the living conditionsof families inselected communitiesin El Valle region (Southwest).  This will happenthrough increasedincome, better nutrition and hygienicpractices, as well as access to water and sanitation

The agreementswere signedwiththe regional offices inthe Southwest Region/ El Valle(San Juanand Elías Piña) of the Instituteof Water andSewage(INAP), the Ministry of Education andthe ProvincialMinistryof Health.Another agreementwas signed with the Federation ofCoffee Growersand Farmersfor the Development ofSanJuan(FECADESJ) and the Social Ministry of SanPedro deEl Cercado Parish, San Juan province.

Using funds from USAID, REDDOM will implement measures to improvethe incomes of rural families,develop community centers ,training centers and demonstration land plots, establishhome gardensand small farms, develop distribution centersandprovide trainingfor farmersand women’s groups. Similarly,itwill seek topromote the adoption ofbettermanagementpractices forwater, sanitationand hygienein targeted communities, as well as promote better nutrition forchildren below 5 yearsand pregnant women.  All of this aims to strengthenthe capacity ofselectedcommunity residents to promote essential actions for nutrition, hygieneand sanitation.

These efforts will be implemented through the USAID / REDDOM Food Safety and Sanitation in the region of El Valle in the provinces of San Juan and Elías Piña with funding of $2.0 million dollarsfrom USAID.The Program will be conducted in 5 municipalities in the two provinces mentioned and benefit more than 12,000 inhabitants belonging to about 2,565 households. The communities will be Yabonico and Los Copeyes of Las Matas de Farfán;Batista , La Vereda and La Guázara in El Cercado;  Sabana Grande de Vallejuelo and El Batey de San Juan de la Maguana , which are all located in the province of San Juan.  In Elías Piña work will be in the community of Sabana Mula, in Bánica township.

It is expected that at the end of the project at least 400 homes will have improved food security, greater access to clean water and sanitation, and 30 newly-trained volunteers who will offer better health services and promoteessential measures for improved nutrition.

“With this program we aim to help alleviate poverty, ensure use of clean water and take direct action to improve the nutritional status of children below5 years of age and women of reproductive age. It is an approach to integrate local organizations into the agricultural value chain, social organizations and communities in order to ensure the sustainability of the actions we take,”said Luis Gonzalez, Coordinator of Economic Policy for USAID in the country.

These communities were selected because they show the highest incidence of poverty in the country.  Studies show that in these communities, 73% of households are below the poverty line and 33% live in extreme poverty.  Most households rely on a combination of subsistence farming with low productivity and occasional rural work at low wages because there are few commercial farms. Besides the lack of sufficient income and the high cost of food brought in from other regions, these areas lack sufficient water for domestic use and watering gardens, which contribute both to poor nutrition and a high rate of anemia, especially among children under 2 years of age.

Jesus de los Santos , Hector Guerrero and Luis Gonzalez

Hector Guerrero, Regional Health Management 6 signs agreement