oregano grande

dominican republic

Orégano Grande, located in Hato Nuevo Cortés, Las Yayas de Viajama in the province of Azua, is an agricultural community of 490 families, located outside of Santo Domingo. Since 2021, local leadership has been working on community development initiatives focused on peaceful coexistence. The residents do not have access to a healthcare facility nearby, making healthcare prohibitively expensive. Additionally, deteriorated roads and the unsafe and improvised bridge that connects the community to the municipality place residents at serious risk, especially during rainy reason.

Status: active

Partnership began in 2025

METHOD of sustainability

CE worked with local leaders to adapt and customize our model of sustainability to fit the community’s needs. Residents have extremely limited access to education, transportation, and healthcare services. 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. They identified a lack of government support, nearby heath facilities, and unsafe and unreliable transportation options.

2

Providing Care

Our first primary care trip was in 2025. Primary care will assess and treat patients, developing a relationship for longterm care. Complex cases are handled on a case-by-case basis.

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

Scoping the Clinic

Building a clinic is critical to establishing consistent care and, eventually, registering with the Ministry of Health. We’re in the early stages of working with community leaders to identify potential spaces to be refurbished into the future clinic.