Projects: Community Economic Development
Project Goals:
The overarching purpose of CED projects is to strengthen the capacity of
community-serving organizations, small business entrepreneurs, and communities in
a manner that promotes local driven projects and community wealth.
Project Activities:
CED volunteers work primarily in rural areas where they engage in numerous
activities that range from business education to
strategic planning to technical assistance. PCV's work with farmers groups,
agrarian cooperatives as well as with micro-entrepreneurs receiving loans from
micro-credit organizations. PCVs also promote the improvement of business and
leadership skills with Dominican youth through capacity building workshops.
All PCV activities are carried out in a manner that taps all "stakeholders" of
the community.
Individual Project Descriptions
- Alexis Loerke - San Pedro de Macoris
- My name is Alexis Loerke and I live in the province of San Pedro de
Macoris which is located 90 minutes east of Santo Domingo. My primary
project assignment is to provide organizational support to Esperanza International,
a micro-credit institution, and my secondary projects consist of business
plan competitions, summer camps, and an Escojo Mi Vida group.
My role in my primary project, Esperanza International is not as a
credit advisor, but rather an educational role. The loan recipients have to
pay back their loans every two weeks. During the meeting while the credit
advisor is counting the money and filling out their books, I will give a
charla about a business concept such as accounting, customer service, competition,
demand, or marketing. In addition to giving business charlas, I also talk about
HIV/AIDS, self-esteem, how to manage change in your life, environment, and many
other topics. When I am not giving charlas to the loan recipients, I am in the
office providing organizational support to Esperanza International which consists
of conducting leadership workshops for employees, developing manuals for the
organization, providing advice to co-workers and upper management so they can
improve the institution as a whole.
When I am not at Esperanza International, I am in the community doing
secondary projects. One of my secondary projects consisted of teaching 4
youth about simple business concepts and how to do a feasibility study.
The youth wrote a business plan which won first place in a national competition
called Construye tus Sueños. The plan is to start up an ice cream parlor
with a children's park. The 4 youth are still in the process of starting it.
I have collaborated with a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
volunteer on a summer camp project. My first year, I taught camp participants
about goals, dreams, visions, and leadership. At my second summer camp,
I taught art projects to children between the ages of 7 and 13. I also
oversee a youth group called Escojo Mi Vida, the group meets once a week
to discuss health issues, how to make healthy choices, and plans small
talks to give in the community.
I now feel that I have the ability to live anywhere and possess the ability to adapt to my surroundings whether it be culturally or linguistically.Cindy PattonFormer volunteer in the Dominican Republic 2005-2007.
