Loveland Habitat for Humanity led a team of seven to the Dominican Republic from April 7th – 14th, 2019. It was a huge success! We immersed ourselves in the Dominican culture, learning about the nation’s history and it’s impact on today’s society. We worked on two Habitat homes doing things like painting, digging, bending and fastening rebar, among other projects. Our team got to know each other very well – had plenty of good times and laughs, met incredible new friends, and ate lots of delicious food!
During our time in the DR, our team served in two areas: Haina and Los Alcarrizos. Haina is a key economic region due to its large and busy port and industrial parks. However, it is one of the ten poorest municipalities in the nation. 64.2% of households in Haina are considered below the poverty line, which equates to about 14,000 homes. Los Alcarrizos is near Haina and and has around 37.73% of households living under the poverty level but social inequality is very visible because of it’s proximity to Santo Domingo. The International Housing Institute states that the housing deficit in the Dominican Republic is estimated at over 1,000,000 units. Due to the situation of the island, natural disasters are often a threat to those in ill-constructed housing.
We know the needs are great and we were happy to do our small part to help. But what will stick with us the most is the relationships formed with those we met and within our own team. Below are pictures from Loveland Habitat’s 2019 trip to the DR. Enjoy! We are looking to do another international build trip in the future, if you are interested in learning more please contact [email protected].
