Baoba del Piñal is a rural community on the northeastern coast of the Dominican Republic with a population of about 300 houses or 1,500 people. Baoba consists of five neighborhoods – Los Pajuiles, La Central, Ochoa, Pueblo Nuevo and Línea Quince – but, because I live in Los Pajuiles and my youth group meets in Los Pajuiles, I will focus my volunteer work on that specific neighborhood.
Strengths of Baoba
- Education: There is a primary school, middle school and high school located in Baoba. Many small towns do not have schools in their sites, and the kids have to travel long distances to receive just their basic education, so this is definitely an advantage for the kids living in Baoba. There is also a library in the school, although no one seems to use it. And the majority of the teachers (including the 2 school principals) live in Baoba; therefore they are invested in the education of the students.
- Sports: There are two basketball/volleyball courts and three baseball fields located in Baoba. The majority of the time the sporting facilities are occupied by men, but there are designated times for women to play. Women get to use one of the basketball/volleyball courts every day from 3 – 5 pm, and they can use one of the baseball fields every Saturday afternoon. The children here often take advantage of the streets and farms to play sports and games when the basketball/volleyball courts and baseball fields are unavailable.
- Churches: There are about 8 churches here in this small town of 1,500 people. The churches are of three religions (Catholic, Evangelical, and Adventist), but the majority of people are Catholic. In every neighborhood, there is Catholic youth group that meets weekly, and the other churches have masses or religious services at least once a week.
- People: The people here are great. There are kids with enthusiasm, talented and motivated adolescents and teenagers with a lot of free time, and parents and adults who are willing to help their kids and have a strong interest in seeing the kids here succeed. There are also two other Youth Peace Corp volunteers within a relatively close distance (1 hour or less).
- Health: There is a rural clinic here in Baoba that is open Monday-Friday, 8 am-5 pm. Two nurses work in the clinic, and they live in Baoba so that if there is an after-hours emergency, they can open the clinic. There is also a pharmacy with limited medicines located beside the clinic.
- Natural beauty: Baoba is gorgeous. It’s surrounded by farms, so it is very green and fertile. There are two rivers that run along the border of Baoba, and it is about a 10-minute walk from the beach.
Weaknesses of Baoba
- There is no community center where groups can meet, nor are their family-friendly places to hang out.
- There is a lack of infrastructure, such as lights, streets, and of course internet.
- The streets are actually dirt roads and are in extremely bad condition. They are full of potholes, and when it rains hard, no one can drive on them.
- There is no trash collection system in Baoba; therefore there is trash in the farms, streets, rivers and beaches. In addition to that type of pollution, many people burn the trash from their homes, which then creates air pollution.
- There are limited sources of income. Most of the men work in the farms, producing cattle, milk, coconuts, or rice. The majority of the women work as housewives, or they clean other houses/businesses. Many people travel to the closest larger cities (about 40 minutes) to find better work opportunities.
Opportunities for development (the same as “strengths”)
Threats to development
- Thieves: Because Baoba is near the beach, many tourists pass through the town, leaving it more vulnerable to burglaries
- Drugs, alcohol, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases
- Many youth and adults leave Baoba to find better work and/or educational opportunities. Almost every single family here in Baoba has an immediate relative living and working in either Puerto Rico or the United States, who regularly sends them money.
- The northeast gets the most annual rainfall in the country. This rain damages the streets here in Baoba, and also causes children and adults to miss school and meetings. If it is raining, work does not get done.
After analyzing this data, I was able to plan my work for the next year. Below is what I hope will happen within the next 12 months. Wish me luck!
- English Class (already started, woohoo!)
- Running Club with the youth
- Informal volleyball tournament and formation of a girl’s volleyball team
- Start searching for funds/planning to build a community center
- Talk to mayor about starting a trash collection system
- Arts Camp in the summer for young kids
- Book Club
- Paint a world map mural in the school with my youth group
- Girl’s Club to empower young girls; take 2 girls to a week-long all girl’s conference called Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World)
- Form a youth group called Escojo Mi Vida (I Choose My Life) to teach them about making safe decisions, sexual health, condoms, HIV/AIDS, alcohol and drugs; take youth to regional and national Escojo conferences to give them more life skills and the chance to see a new city and meet new people. (The kids here almost never have the opportunity to travel).
- Take 2 youth to “Celebrando el Cibao” conference to teach them about diversity
- Work with the Padres, Madres & Amigos de la Escuela (like PTA) and teach them better communication and discipline skills
- Work with youth group to pick up trash and place trashcans in Baoba
- Private tutoring with kids in elementary school who need help with basic reading/writing/math skills
- Strengthen the library by getting more/better books, having a daily story hour, etc.
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