Projects: Youth, Families and Community Development

Project Goals:

The main purpose of the Youth, Families and Community Development project is to promote the empowerment of young people and have a positive impact on their personal lives and that of their communities.

Project Activities:

Youth Volunteers engage in numerous activities with local partners that include:

• organizing youth-driven recreation and arts events, including sports and summer camps
• developmental skills building
• organizing and supporting literacy programs
• supporting youth in planning and implementing community-led projects
• presenting workshops on issues important to youth and their families
• organizing and/or strengthening youth groups
• working with organizations to increase their accountability and response to youth needs

Individual Project Descriptions

• Jennifer Bires
• I have been a YCFD volunteer for over a year now and have had some really great successes not to mention the ongoing activities still happening in my town here in the DR. I helped to create a youth group of over 50 youth between the ages of 11 and 20. We designed and acquired funding for a $30,000 project that included a $15,000 grant from the World Bank and a $10,000 grant from PLAN International. With these funds the youth group in my town has begun construction on a state of the art technology center. Within this group we created a musical rap group that developed educational songs about HIV/AIDS, family planning, environmental topics and community issues helping to create a liaison between the youth and the community as a means of positive communication. They have been recorded and are currently producing their first CD. In conjunction with PLAN International I also provided workshops to help the youth in areas of long and short-term planning, project design, group relations, participative leadership, democratic elections and financial planning. Youth my this group also attended over 20 conferences outside of the community to help educate over 50 youth in the areas of environmental sustainability and education, HIV/AIDS and healthy life choices, parenting skills and life planning, how to start and manage a business, women's empowerment, and Haitian/Dominican relations.
  
  In my community, I also supported the activities of a peer educator group by training 10 new peer educators in the areas of HIV transmission and disease progression, HIV and STD prevention, human sexuality, community and peer education, and support of HIV positive individuals. In order to continue the on-going efforts of this group I also helped train them in areas of project planning fundraising, use of contraceptives, positive communication techniques, self-esteem, values, decision making, and family and intimate partner violence.
  
  Sports are something many youth and become involved in to help build self esteem and in my town I was able to form a female softball team consisting of 17 young women. They were taught the basics of the game and afforded the opportunity to travel to surrounding communities. I was also able to help strengthen and organize the young adult and children's baseball teams. Our teams were able to participate in over 40 games and traveled to 15 different communities. They also participated in various community service projects the help better the community while receiving the necessary equipment to continue playing in return for their service. In addition to the softball and baseball teams I was able to organize a flag football team for young males between the ages 10 and 14 which was centered on an underprivileged population in the community. With the flag football team we were able to work on team building skills and sportsmanship. The team also organized a tournament.
  
  Lack of a birth certificate is a problem that plagues the Dominican Republic. Often times undocumented Dominicans are not afforded basic rights such as attending school, voting, health care, and jobs in the public and private sector among others. I was able to help obtain documentation for over 100 youth and adults that did not previously have a birth certificate.
  
  Seeing a need in women's rights in my community I was able to start a women's savings and loan group in order to promote knowledge of financial responsibility and independence. The women's group consists of over 30 women who were taught money management, group dynamics, and conflict management skills. Within the group we were able to give small loans to women who wanted to start a business or had a family emergency.
  
  As a Peace Corps Volunteer I have had the privilege of not only working with my Dominican community, but also with my PC Community. I have worked with the following PC projects: Parenting Committee, Celebrando el Sur, Peer Support Network, Youth Development Committee, 45th Anniversary Celebration, Volunteer Advisory Committee, and the Emergency Coordinator Committee.
• Marin Kirby
• I live in a large campo not far from Monte Plata. Most residents work in agriculture, but some make the one and a half hour trip south to Santo Domingo to find temporary employment.
  
  As a Youth volunteer I predominantly work with teenage Dominicans. Together with some local leaders we have developed a girls' volleyball program, which consists of two teams: one for 9-12 year olds and another for 13-16 year olds (the latter of which I coach). We also have a youth group dedicated to sharing information about sexual education and healthy-decision making (a program called "Escojo Mi Vida - I Choose My Life"). This group of 14 local youth leaders is in the process of training a second group: together they will present workshops to their peers about birth control, sexually transmitted infections, self-esteem, and how to prevent unwanted pregnancy, among other things.
  
  Last summer, I enjoyed leading a three month summer book club. Together we read Bridge to Terabithia in Spanish and worked on reading comprehension skills. Currently, as I approach my last quarter of service, I am completing the creation of a course called "Strengthening Families (Familias Fuertes)" which targets parents of youth between the ages of 10 and 15 years and teaches the families how to communicate well and prevent high risk behavior among the youth.
  
  Finally, there are the kids who come to my house to read Spanish stories, paint, color, and play games. The Dominican youth are the best work partners - full of energy and so very eager to learn.

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Walk, talk, shake hands, kiss cheeks; make friends and open up.Scott FreemanFormer volunteer in the Dominican Republic 2005-2007.