View our latest mission trips to the Dominican Republic here.
We have previously served with The Samaritan Foundation – a Canadian charity which builds homes for those currently living in dire circumstances. Their houses are sticks, tin and rubble, their food basic and meagre. Some are able to rent small cubicles that are the size of a walk-in closet. The small spaces are hot and insanitary, but are all the people can afford with their less-than-a-5 pounds -a-day incomes.
By building new homes, Mission Direct teams are helping those living in desperate circumstances to escape from the hopelessness they currently face.
The Samaritan Foundation started in 1988 and has transformed the landscape in Sosua, improving the lives of many families. They have built 14 villages, over 1,800 homes, 8 schools, 6 medical clinics and 12 churches.
In 2020 we are once again partnering with them to help build two new homes at a new village ‘Rio De Vida’ – being built 20 minutes from our hotel in Sosua, which when complete will provide homes for 144 families.
Go MAD is a US and Dominican registered charity, who have been working in the DR since 2010. They work in 4 communities, supporting the local leadership to bring about long term change and create opportunities for people to improve their own futures.
Go MAD is a Christian mission, with whom we partnered with in previous years to build school facilities in two rural villages Although the government has the funds to pay more teachers, there is no available funding for communities such as Mozovi and Severet to build more classrooms, resulting in big class numbers and many children not attending.
The Dominican government is taking big steps to improve education in the country, with schools being helped to move from half-day teaching to full day. We helped to build 2 classrooms at both Mozovi and Severet. We have also helped to build a community centre, lay a water pipeline to a community without access to water and a new home.
Fifteen years ago God Sister Mercedes a passion to help abandoned children. This calling lead Sister Mercedes to leave the safety and comfort of the convent to start Nazareth House in the Dominican Republic, a children’s home for disabled children. It didn’t take long before Sister Mercedes began visiting hospitals to find children in need of her love and care. Sadly over the years she has found children abandoned on the steps of the home.
When a child enters Nazareth House they are not entering an institution – they are part of a family! A home where Sister Mercedes lives with her now 17 children, who have a variety of disabilities. They call her ‘mum’; they are a family built around the love of God.
However, the landlord is selling her rented home, leaving the family with no where to go. In 2017, we secured a purchase of land and began plans to give this family something of their own. Our aim for 2018 is to build a new Nazareth house, which is purpose built with accessible equipment and sensory stimulation for the children.
A home that can never be taken away from them.
This is a Rehab home for men.
An afternoon children’s outreach program partnered with the local church leaders.
A local community feeding program.
