Facts About Our Work in the Dominican Republic

Food For The Poor (FFTP) has been working since 2000 in the Dominican Republic, with partners such as Caritas Puerto Plata, Fundación Cruz Jiminián, and the Asociación Dominicana de la Orden de Malta to distribute medicines and medical supplies throughout the country. FFTP has more than 100 projects in the Caribbean nation that focuses on aquaculture, education, community development, water and animal husbandry. FFTP also is working with Caritas Nacional in Santo Domingo with Caritas Española as a co-founder on a large agricultural project.

In March 2020, FFTP responded quickly to the crisis triggered by COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus. The charity sent 29 tractor-trailer loads of items specifically for COVID-19 relief.

• FFTP sent funds to Obispado de Puerto Plata and Cáritas Arquidiocesana de Santiago for the purchase of emergency aid baskets that included beans, rice, pasta, sugar, cooking oil, soap, bleach and other items to help 2,000 families in both Puerto Plata and Santiago.

In 2021, FFTP sent 78 containers of aid to the Dominican Republic.

FFTP has built 1,694 homes in the Dominican Republic since inception, including 132 homes in 2021.

FFTP began working with Caritas Archdiocese of Santiago to establish the Santiago Housing Project. Located in the northern part of the country, Santiago is the second-largest city in the Dominican Republic, and due to its location and fertile land, it has a robust agricultural sector, which has made it a leading exporter of rum and cigars. But pockets of extreme poverty exist for many of the people in the rural communities. FFTP is building homes through a General Housing Program in both Puerto Plata through the Diocese of Puerto Plata (Caritas Diocesana de Puerto Plata/Pastoral Social/Obispado de Puerto Plata) as well as with Caritas Arquidiocesana de Santiago. These concrete-block homes will have a full bathroom inside, a small kitchen and a zinc roof.  

In 2016, thanks to FFTP donors, the Hato Del Yaque Health Center was built and provides free medical consultations and prescriptions for the elderly who cannot pay. The clinic charges a small fee for those who can pay for services to keep the center self-sustaining. The Santiago Health Center also provides medical service for the La Canela, La Herradura and El Guayabal communities.

• Water is a critical need in the Dominican Republic, especially in the remote and border areas. More than 40 water projects have been established, including the Angostura Water Project in 2018. FFTP is committed to supplying clean water through wells, filtration, gravitation and other distribution systems.
• FFTP also has initiated community development projects that include: housing, clinics, agriculture, animal husbandry and women’s vocational training projects.

The population is approximately 10.6 million residents. The language is Spanish and Catholicism is the largest religion. The currency is the peso and the GDP per capita is $18,413.