Economy and Development in the Dominican Republic

Travel to the Dominican Republic and learn about the local economy and development.

There are number of international tax free manufacturing zones in the city which is the country’s number one source of export revenue, everything from call centers to electric manufacturers. In most developing countries, motivating small business creation is an important aspect of growth. One organization, Esperanza International accomplishes this with micro finance loans to individuals who may not be able to get a loan from a traditional lender. Loans could be as small as $100 or $150 to a person operating a small commode or market in a rural community. The proprietor buys in larger quantities and then sells smaller amounts to her customers. Esperanza also does some larger loans to clients who have shown their responsibility like this furniture maker in a suburb at Santo Domingo who now employs 15 people in her small shop and has experience steady growth over the term of her loans. This is another element of society one wouldn’t experience in a package tour. There is an entire one hour documentary dignity that addresses micro finance in the Dominican Republic and a group of young high school students who raise money for the program. On the Caribbean Island of Hispaniola in the Dominican Republic, 60% of the country’s 9 ½ million residents are living in poverty living on less than $2 a day. One and three are living on less than $1 a day. In fact, according to the most recent United Nations’ human development report, over 2.6 billion, 40% of the planet’s population live in poverty, a life without a shred of dignity. The Bellevue, Washington, economically and socially just about as far as you can get from the bad taste in barrios wherein the courts did the poor. In the Dominican Republic, these young men and women are part of a newly formed micro finance club. Still in high school, they are already making a significant contribution to the society. The club raised and donated $120,000 to Esperanza International, an organization that’s the brainchild of Dave Valle, former catcher for the Seattle Mariners and his wife Victoria, an organization that is attempting to bring its clients out of poverty with dignity. The Bellevue High School Micro Finance Club was the idea of Bellevue High School junior Scott Bennett and his sister Kate, a sophomore there. Scott Bennett: Well, it all started when a college counselor of mine kind of brought that idea of what micro finance was. And from there, I really just grabbed and kind of ran with it and just really kind of sparked an interest of me as I thought it was kind of a new advanced way of giving back to the community in third world countries. Brett Mennella: I mean, when started that, it wan an idea that we had that we could do meaningful community service in a way that we could make a difference in another place in the world by using the resources that we have—in an affluent community that we have in Bellevue. To see the impact of their work, several members of the club, 25 of them, organized a trip to the Dominican Republic to see in real time how their contribution has been put to work. The first day begins with a visit to a hope bank meeting in a small rural community near San Pedro. It’s 90 degrees with equal humidity so their first shock will be the climate. Along with the group, a student video team to document their journey. Gregg Bennett: Bellevue is a very affluent community. It is not the real world. The kids know that but they don’t really see it very often. They do travel but they travel to Hawaii and to Mexico and places that are fairly affluent in their own way. So this is really an opportunity for them to see communities where it’s not the same as it is here. And I think what they really see is how far a dollar goes in these other communities. The students had the chance to walk through rural villages and to meet the owners of small business their funds helped finance. Here, small commodes or stores that sells a variety of products from rice and sugar to a lady selling chicken. They visited in Esperanza Clinic who treated their associates for everything from HIV-AIDS to pregnancy. One day they spent in the village helping pour concrete floors which became one of the highlights of the trip. They were able to emerge themselves in the sights, sounds and smells of daily life there working and playing with the locals.