Duquesa

dominican republic

Duquesa, Dominican Republic, is home to mostly undocumented Haitian immigrants and one of the largest garbage dumps in the country. With no pathway to citizenship, the residents earn a living by picking through the garbage to sell to local recycling businesses. The community lacks access to basic medical care except in the case of emergency or labor and delivery. CE has partnered with a Canadian nonprofit, Team Broken Earth, and a local organization to provide consistent care and advance development goals.

Status: active

Partnership began in 2024

METHOD of sustainability

CE worked with local leaders to adapt and customize our model of sustainability to fit the community’s needs. Since most of Duquesa’s residents are Haitian, they have no pathway to citizenship. As a result, we are unable to register a clinic with the Ministry of Health - a key pillar of our sustainable model. Here is our approach thus far:

1

Engage Community

We identified local leaders and assisted in assessing the community’s needs, focusing on immediate and long-term goals.

2

Critical Partnerships

We’ve partnered with Team Broken Earth to provide ongoing care to new and returning patients in Duquesa. Their work is aided by local volunteers.

3

Development Projects

We are working with local leaders to determine what development projects are needed most. These projects target environmental factors that affect healthy outcomes, such as clean water, adequate housing and accessible structures.

4

Training

Training local healthcare workers helps maintain a healthy community outside of the volunteer trips. They can provide health education services that promote health living and increase positive health outcomes.