Le site a été réalisé bénévolement par Flavien Vernet et les vidéos par Gabriel Lavra

   Dominican Republic 

Cabrera is in the north of the island on the Atlantic coast. This location is protected by the Great Cordillera and very rarely experiences cyclones

The Foundation has 22,015 m2 of hilly land in the community of* "El Naranjito", in Cabrera, located in the province of Maria Trinidad Sánchez (between the cities of Nagua and Rio San Juan).

Dominican Republic protects its natural heritage. No tree may be felled without the permission of a government agency, under penalty of severe fines.

All the constructions on the "El Naranjito" site fully respect nature. The school and all the other out buildings blend into the environment. The trees were bypassed or integrated into the constructions. No earthworks or leveling of the earth has been carried out. Nature is voluntarily respected. 

To respond to the shortage of electricity and water, clean solutions have been put in place. Electricity is produced by solar panels. The rainwater is collected in a tank recycled round the facility. 

Social, political, economic 

Despite efforts made by the country in recent years, statistics from 2011 identified that more than 40% of the population were living below the poverty line and both poverty and extreme proverty rates remain particularly high. Social inequalities remain a significant issue for the country,  and having access to clean drinking water and an electricity supply is also a real problem within the Dominican Republic.

Many poor and rural families still have reduced access to health and education due to their cost. Many families encourage their children to drop out of school, go to work and contribute to the household's financial resources.

According to the Ministry of Education, of the 9 years of compulsory education, most students finish their education at the end of the sixth grade so miss a large amount of the vital learning on offer.

Source: EI barometer of human and trade union rights in education - September 2012

The Dominican Republic's labor code prohibits work for children under the age of 14, but the law is hardly enforced. In 2012, the ILO estimated that thousands of children were employed under the age of 14, in sugar cane fields, rice fields, small businesses, clandestine factories, and even in the field of prostitution. Source: EI barometer of human and trade union rights in education - September 2012

According to "the report of the International Commission on the strategic development of the Dominican Republic - 2010", the infant mortality rate (mortality rate of children under 5 years old per 1000 births), in 2007, was 36%. The main source of infection for children and adults is harmful amoebae found in streams and water systems. A health analysis of the children of the “Los Niños del Arco Iris” school center showed that 100% of the children were infected, the cost of treatment was covered by the Foundation. Access to clean drinking water and electricity is a real problem in the Dominican Republic.

As a high proportion of the population are young people, with 50% under the age of 16, the provision of  a strong education system is vital for the future of the community and the country.

The crime rate there is extremely low compared to other countries around the world and they do not experience ethnic, racial or religious conflicts.

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Since 1966 when the constitution was written the country has found great stability and the political regime here has never been brought into question.

It is very difficult to obtain statistics or analysis on illiteracy or on sensitive social issues, without the existence of a body such as the Office for the Control of Inhabitants.