There’s something special about handmade crafts at Christmastime. So we asked some of the children and families we help around the world to share their favorite Christmas crafts with you! Learn how to make DIY Christmas crafts from Armenia, Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, Lesotho, and the Philippines.
Dominican Republic
Why World Vision is in Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic shares an often-unguarded border with Haiti that children and adults cross daily in search of work and stability. In recent years people in this island nation have created one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. In 2019, the Dominican government nearly doubled the minimum wage, but the country also experienced a serious drought that threatens many of its farms. On average, around 200 women are murdered every year in the Dominican Republic, often as a means to terminate unwanted pregnancies. When a public official was implicated in the murder of a pregnant woman last year, femicide was brought into the national political spotlight. Children in the Dominican Republic grow up surrounded by violence both inside and outside the home. The generosity of donors provides programs that teach the value of women and help families find healthier ways of communicating and problem-solving, empowering parents with constructive ways to guide and teach their children. Children are also gaining reading skills and the tools needed to advocate for their rights.
We never give up on people
World Vision child sponsorship looks at all the things that prevent children from surviving and thriving in their community, and then works with that community to bring all the pieces of the puzzle together to build a better life for all children. For sponsors, it’s a personal way to show God’s love to a child in need in a life-changing way.
Sponsor a child in Dominican Republic ❯
Progress in Dominican Republic
Thanks to the generous support of donors, we’re making great progress toward the well-being of children and their families.
Child Protection and Care
Boys and girls are safe and valued, well cared for by their families, and participating in their communities as agents of transformation.
- Children were engaged in activities that promoted safety and well-being in their communities. These included community leadership orientations especially for youth, and clubs and camps that used fun activites to teach kids about their rights and where to find help if their rights have been violated.
- Community members are better equipped to protect children after they learned how to develop community disaster response plans and to mobilize community committees committed to protecting children through preventing and responding to possible cases of child abuse.
Healthy Children and Families
Children and families are well nourished, protected from infection and disease, and have access to essential health services.
- More boys and girls have access to healthcare. Trained volunteers worked together with health clinic staff to offer regular monthly check-ups and to monitor the growth of children in the community.
- Youth attended workshops where they learned to better protect themselves against diseases and malnutrition through better hygiene habits, improved environmental sanitation, including participating in community clean-up days.
Education for Better Lives
Children have opportunities to learn and to develop their talents, young people are equipped for the future, and families and communities support children's education.
- To better support students and improve school performance, teachers received training on new teaching methods that included aspects of child development and children's rights.
Prayer Requests from Dominican Republic
World Vision's staff in Dominican Republic are asking us to join them in prayer for the following:
For a safe, orderly, functional border, and fair laws protecting children’s rights.
For economic sustainability for the people and programs working in the Dominican Republic, and for those people and programs to extend their reach as they address the causes of poverty.
For violence to end against women in the Dominican Republic.
For more people to join the fight to end oppressive and violent forms of parenting.
News from Dominican Republic
From the Field
2017 Hurricane Irma: Facts, FAQs, and how to help
Hurricane Irma caused about $50 billion in damage and is the fifth-costliest storm to hit the continental U.S. since 1900. Here are some facts, FAQs, and how to help.
From the Field
2017 Hurricane Maria: Facts, FAQs, and how to help
Families are still recovering from Hurricane Maria after the monster storm devastated Puerto Rico and much of the Caribbean last September.
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