Oxfam's work in Dominican Republic in depth

Oxfam started working in the Dominican Republic in the early 1970s. Oxfam supports organisations that help the poorest people improve their living and working conditions.

The Dominican Republic is heavily dependent on exports of coffee, cocoa, and sugar but the land has been farmed and deforested for decades, so soil quality is poor. In addition, fierce competition in the market is crushing small-scale farmers and many are being forced to abandon their land.

We are supporting small and medium-sized farmers' associations in their fight against these threats by helping them to organise themselves into lobbying groups, by funding training in environmentally-friendly agricultural methods, and by helping them to market their produce.

The farmers who lose the battle with the land are forced to move to towns – usually to the capital, Santo Domingo. Two-thirds of Santo Domingo's population of 2.5 million live in poor neighbourhoods, squeezed into just a third of the urban area.

Many work for minimal wages in one of the ‘Free Trade Zones’ which enable foreign employers to keep costs to a minimum while maximising their profits on clothing and other goods which they export to richer countries.

80 per cent of these workers are women. Oxfam has identified Free Trade Zone workers and people living in poor neighbourhoods as one of the most vulnerable sectors of Dominican society. We support organisations that help the poorest people improve their living and working conditions.

Development of sustainable livelihoods

This programme aims to increase the power of small-scale producers. It will consolidate and expand access to new markets and secure favourable trade policies in the light of trade liberalisation.

Humanitarian Work

From 15-20 November 2003 heavy rains fell on the central mountain range of the Dominican Republic, causing severe flooding in the lowland areas of the Northeast. More than 50,000 people were affected, with the worst affected areas being the Montecristi province and Santiago.

In light of this, Oxfam started working with MUDE (Woman and Development), a local NGO, in the monitoring of the use and managing of water filters and twin vault dry latrines provided by the emergency project to the families.

Last updated: Feb 06