Report of Activities...

Report of Activities 2012

180 Degrees for Cooperatión and Devolupment

2012


180 Degrees for Cooperatión and Devolupment http://180grados/en -‐ [email protected]

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Index.

1. Introduction 3

2. Chart of Projects 4

3. Areas of work and projects 5

3.1. Strengthening and decentralization of preventive

health in Guaymate 5

Sport for Life 5

Promoting Sport 6

3.2. Social and educational activities 7

Summer Educational Camps 7

School reinforcement 8

Children’s Entertainment Group 8

3.3. Community Fund. 9

Prepare pension paperwork 9

Community Garden 10

Health Aid 10

School transportation for the disabled children 10

Nutritional assistance 11

3.4 Specific projects with others NGOs 12

4. Annual balance sheet 15

1. Introduction

180 ° for Cooperation and Development is a Spanish NGO founded in 2004 as a

volunteer initiative to provide an answer to the needs of the sugar cane workers

and their families, in the Dominican Republic.

During the years 2005, 2006 and 2007, the organization focused on organizing

recreational and educational camps during the summer holidays, both to educate

the youth at the plantation villages (known as bateyes) and to help meet the needs

of the population, benefiting from the closeness of living with the people in the

batey.

Upon completion of this period, 180º assessed that the work done during one

month a year, although significant, could not exert a function of change in the batey

communities, if it was not accompanied by a real communitarian movement to

manage and develop the initiatives. During the summer of 2007 the group JMDS

(Youth of Milagrosa Determined to Succeed) appeared with firm proposals of

voluntary work to create change in their communities.

Over a period of four years, from 2008 until late 2011, an expatriate from the

organization moved from Spain to Guaymate, the nearest town to these bateys, in

order to accompany this process. During this time new groups appeared, shaping

the entire structure of the organization, which has expanded its corporate

headquarters in Dominican Republic and the U.S.A.

At the beginning of 2012 the expatriate returned home and the local youth, who

had been leading various projects, have worked all year round, independently, in

the management of the NGO in the Dominican Republic.

This fact explains how we seek the implicit goal of the entire educational and

cooperative process: self-‐determination of individuals and their organizations, to

take an active part in the development of their community.

Following is a more detailed explanation of the projects carried out during 2012.

2.Chart of Projects

180 º C & D

USA (NYC)

Dominican Rep (GYT)

Spain

(BCN)

Technical Support In the writing of projects, text edition and translations

Social Work Writing, financing and carrying out developmental projects in different areas in Guaymate and

surrounding bateyes Representative in Dominican Rep.: Mercedito Mártir.

Finance Of the organization’s structure in Dominican Republic, salaries, fix costs, infra-‐structures

Community’s Health

Mercedito Mártir Development at Bateys

Yoni Tusen Merceditomáriti

Socio-Education YudelkaOguís.

Eduardo Confidente

GVG - Strengthening and

decentralization of preventive health in Guaymate

JMDS

-‐ Educational Camps -‐ Remedial classes -‐ JMDS children

animator group.

Guaymate Community’s Fund

-‐ Care of elderly and chronic patients

-‐ Follow up of the proceedings to obtain pensions

-‐ Literacy classes -‐ School transportation

for disabled children

Human Rights -‐ We collaborate with the Jesuit Service for the Refugees of Santo

Domingo in the national strategy to guarantee the right to a nationality to the Dominicans of Haitian descent.

Specific projects with other NGOs



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3. Areas of Work and Projects

3.1. Strengthening and Decentralization of

Preventive Health in Guaymate

Under this title, the organization 180 º C & D has been working since 2011 to

create a network of young volunteers in the bateyes, to carry out small actions

promoting batey awareness to mitigate serious health problems. Always under the

collaboration of government agencies, we seek these youth be trained in concepts

such as HIV, Cholera Vaccine, Dengue and Malaria. During this year, in

collaboration with the Peace Corps of U.S.A. they have carried out the activity

“sports for life”.

All this would be useless without the work to strengthen the Municipal Hospital.

Therefore, this year a request to the Embassy of Japan to purchase two ambulances

was made. Also a collaborative program between Cohen's Children Medical Center

and the Municipal Hospital of Guaymate is being carried out, to improve training

and resources.

• Sport for Life Participants; 4,000 Cost; $2,200

Counterpart: Regional Health Guaymate Hospital, Peace Corps.

Objective: To create a network of trained young people in 8 bateyes

and rural areas in order to ensure the access to health prevention

near each town.

During the month of June a youth camp was organized at Guaymate

and nearby bateyes, raising awareness on HIV/AIDS by means of

sports activities. At the end of the camp they returned to their

communities to lead these activities themselves.

Sport for life Promoting sport



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Results: 16 young people were trained and

training currently continues on six other

bateys. This initiative is creating a youth

group in each batey with motivation and

resources for carrying out health activities in

the future. During 2013 we will continue with

these training sessions on other topics, to

gradually create a network of young people

willing to collaborate with healthcare

organizations, to improve prevention.

• Promoting Sport Participants; 30 Cost; $525

Counterpart: CHILD

Objective: To promote sports

Results: The San Jose volleyball team is able to participate in tournaments all over

the country with their own team uniforms.

In the month of March there was a donation of 30 volleyball team uniforms for

Guaymate town (San Jose Team), 46 young men and women 12-‐18 years of age

benefited with team uniforms.



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3.2. Social and Educational Activities

The development of better living

conditions in the villages is closely related

to the empowerment of the community. The

group Youth of La Milagrosa Determined to Succeed (JMDS) is for young people to

be agents of change, agents of their social process. With time they have created a

methodology, which works in their communities. With their projects of

sociocultural dynamization they educate and sensitize the community to seek

alternatives to their present way of life.

• Summer Educational Camps

Participants; 400 Cost; $1.421

Counterpart: JMDS

Objective: When schools close for summer holidays,

children and youth in the batey have nothing to do. The

JMDS offer educational entertainment spaces during the

summer to prevent violence, promote hygiene and

awareness about HIV. These activities involve 400

children and adults of different bateys.

Results: We have created playgrounds for children in 3

bateys so they have a recreational space. With the

participation of the community the playgrounds were

built with recycled material so they are fully sustainable. In

total there are now children’s playgrounds in 4 bateys.

In the batey Tocones there was a basketball and volleyball

court built to keep the young people away from corrupt ideas.

The volleyball court was built with the cooperation of the

Alegre Project, coordinated by Richard Nunez. Now children

can enjoy playing in groups.

Summer Educational Camps School reinforcement Children's Entertainment

Group



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• Educational Reinforcement Participants; 170 Cost; $1.128

September to December

Counterpart: JMDS

Objective: To provide a tutoring space that can mitigate the educational gap

between the children living in the bateys and the children living in town. It works

every Saturday from September through December.

The objectives of this project are to reduce violence, using social skills’ programs,

reinforce knowledge of Mathematics and Spanish language, create libraries in each

batey and organize the community Christmas party to share the lessons they have

learned during the course.

Results: Although the number of children involved has gone down to half, due to

lack of interest and involvement of parents in this project, all the kids are very

excited with the activities that take place every Saturday. This year we have had

the cooperation of Peace Corps volunteers who have trained our instructors.

This year we have obtained 100 books to create libraries in each batey. This

project will be completed during 2013.

• Children's Entertainment Group

Counterpart: JMDS

Objective: To organize children entertainment as a

remunerated activity, offering new opportunities to the

youth of the bateys .

Results: Several shows have been performed this year in the city of La Romana,

with famous groups such as Maranatha, and with Bono Center in vindictive

activities to obtaining papers. Another activity was the participation in a major

baseball league in the city of La Romana. There have also been several

presentations on TV and in the newspaper. Although performances in hotels have

not been contracted on a regular basis we do expect to see more stable contracts in

the coming year.



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3.3 Community Fund Participants; 100 Cost; $16,000

As the organization has been settling in the

town of Guaymate, it has been able to analyze

a range of needs that given the multifactorial

characteristics of the population are not yet

covered by the health or educational services.

The Community Fund seeks to provide an

alternative to people suffering the silence of

the institutions, through separate activities in

the batey and the town of Guaymate.

The backbone of these projects is to ensure access to basic public health services,

education or social security for rural elderly, uneducated disabled children,

illiterate children due to lack of schools and elderly who cannot complete the

paperwork to get their pension.

• Prepare Pension Paperwork

Objective: To assist the elderly of the villages, who having the right to a pension,

however, for one reason or another, do not receive one. They are taken to the

pertinent offices and are assisted with all the necessary proceedings to be carried

out.

Results: A census was carried out and

identified that 77 elderly from different

bateys with right to pensions, were not

being paid. Now, as a result of this project,

there are 21 of these 77 elderly who are

officially receiving their pension. The

remaining 56 people have started the

proceedings to apply for their pensions.

Prepare pension paperwork

Community Garden Health Aid School of literacy English Institute School transportation

for the disabled children Nutritional assistance



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• Community Garden

Objective: To start a vegetable garden for nutritional

improvement of the people in the batey who are in need the

most.

Results: A group of young people from the batey was educated

on how to grow vegetables from seeds. They successfully grew

a vegetable garden and in 5 months, were able to help feed six

elderly people. Right now we must find a new piece of land for

this project to continue.

• Health Aid

Objectives: To provide the necessary medicines and health care for the elderly

people who are in precarious health conditions, cannot work, have no family and

are waiting for their pension. In many cases, these people are surviving on the

charity of their neighbors. On the other hand, the fund also helps families in case of

accidents or emergencies, helping them to avoid debts with lenders.

Results: The fund has helped 10 elderly people from different bateys, among them

5 people have had surgery for cataracts and hernias. The fund has also offered

monthly shuttle service for two women in the community in 2011 and one in 2012,

for cancer therapy appointments.

• School of Literacy Participants; 20 Cost; $1,500

Counterpart: Escuelita Don Candido.

Objective: To ensure the right to education of children who have been left out of

the school system because of lack of school location or not having proper papers.

Result: 22 children from the Guaymate bordering neighborhood, Los Cocos, attend

a school run by a senior teacher, who collaborates with 180 ° for Cooperation and

Development. Consistence in this project is irregular because of the lack of

involvement of families and the difficulties the teacher has because of his advanced

age.



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• English Institute

Objective: To help young people learn English, so they may have better

opportunities when searching for jobs. The English teacher is a man from the

community, who receives compensation for his work.

Results: 80 young people from the community have been learning English and

were offered jobs in some tourist areas. However, the students had difficulties in

obtaining their grades from the teacher. The project ended in the month of July.

• School Transportation for the Disabled Children

Participants; 12 Cost; $4,200

Partner: City Council of Guaymate and P. Cavalotto School

Objectives: To ensure the right to education of persons with disabilities in

Guaymate.

In 2010 we did a survey to identify disabled children in the town of Guaymate. We

found more than 10 children with different disabilities and without literacy. In

2011 transport was provided for 6 children to attend the special education school

P. Cavalotto, in the city of La Romana.

Seeing the educational progress of children after their first access to school, we

guessed we would have to start a broader project, which would benefit both the

children from Guaymate and from the bateys. We have met with people from the

Ministry of Education in order to enable special education classrooms in Guaymate.

Results: This year we made another census covering 34 bateys and found 32

children with different disabilities, who do not attend school. We have given all

this information to the Ministry of Education to reflect the needs of our community.

However, we cannot guarantee that this classroom will start working in the near

future.



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During the course 2012-‐2013 our school

transportation service is helping 12 children, 3 of

whom are from a nearby batey, and are going to

school for the first time.

This project not only helps with access to

education, but also the connection to medical

consultations, examinations, and if necessary,

nutritional aid.

• Nutrition Assistance

Objectives: To ensure basic nutrition to seniors with financial constraints.

Results: During 2011, we provided food to 17 elders from Guaymate and the

surrounding bateys, but due to economic constraints, in July 2012 we had to seek

Dominican donations to support this project.

We started community gardens to support the needs of the elderly, while we

obtained the funding.

3.4 SPECIFIC PROJECTS WITH OTHER NGOs

According to the course of events, the organization adapts to the needs that arise,

seeking strength and support with other organizations. One of the most alarming

cases in the municipality of Guaymate, extrapolated to the whole country to a

greater or lesser extent, is that more than half of the population (68% according to

the study SIUBEM 2006) does not have identity documents. In many cases this fact

prevents these undocumented people from having access to public services. This

situation, which is inherited from parents to children, increasing marginalization

and exclusion of the population, is constantly recurring. Sometimes Haitian people

with documents proving Dominican citizenship have these papers suddenly

revoked, losing their nationality. To work in this area, 180 ° for Cooperation and

Development has been integrated into an NGO Coordinator lead by the Jesuit

Refugee Service in Santo Domingo. (SJR)



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• Documentation

It is difficult to know the number of people who have benefited from the

interventions for acquiring Dominican nationality or papers, because the service

covers all the affected people that have not yet been identified by the NGO.

However, the population who has been the most directly benefited has been the

over 115 youngsters who participate in the core reflection.

In specific actions, such as the request for a copy of the second original book for

more than 40 youths, conducting the survey, and other specific events, the cost has

exceeded 30,000 pesos.

Counterpart: SJR

Objective: To raise awareness and to work for the eradication of discrimination

from the agencies of the Dominican Central Electoral Board, which generate

stateless persons among the Dominicans of Haitian descent.

Results:

From the accompanying work that has been done by 180 º in collaboration

with the SJR

• Survey cases of people who have been denied copies of their records from 2007

to date; until to 2010, we discovered more than 500 cases in Guaymate and its

bateys. To this date, the number has grown significantly, despite moderate

achievements, such as circular 32 of the Central Electoral Board, which provided

for the issuance of documents to Haitian children registered in the country. This

measure was of short span and very poor reach.

• Organization of the affected population in the municipality of Guaymate in cores

of reflection.

• Mobilization in more than four peaceful and orderly demonstration protests

throughout the province of La Romana.

• Paying attention and supporting the public opinion by visiting the local media

such as Radio, TV and local spaces of debate.



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• Changing the discourse of some media in terms of: separation of concerns for

Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent. We participated in programs such as,

First Time, Musical Breakfast and What Happens at La Romana, among others.

• Identity cards for young people. We cannot provide the exact number of young

people who have obtained the card, because we do not have all the information,

however, approximately twenty young people have reported receiving them.

Nationwide, we have likewise been pushing specific activities with the

following achievements:

• The support and pronouncement of more than twenty Congress members. They

are now asking the state agency to stop the denial of documents to the children of

Haitians born in the country, and have proposed a bill to eliminate institutional

barriers (resolution 12-‐07 and Circular 017 of the Central Electoral Board (JCE) )

hindering the access to identity documents to Dominicans of Haitian decent.

• Two of the five judges of the JCE have spoken out against this policy of

denationalization.

• A large number of renowned journalists have embraced the cause and talk about

it every day in the media.



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4. Annual Balance Sheet

Sub. Concept RP$ € $ %

A. Resources

Eu-Diseng 1582222.00 39,555.55 € $45,206.34 80.96%

Other 375130.00 9,378.25 € $10,718.00 19.04%

SubTotal 1957352.12 48,933.80 € $55,924.35

B. Utilization of

resources

Salaries 550957.00 13,773.93 € $15,741.63 30.95%

Settlements 0.00

Personal Licenses 0.00

Badges 0.00

Volunteers 0.00

University 34155.00 853.88 € $975.86 1.92%

Administration 130678.81 3,266.97 € $3,733.68 7.34%

Services 168705.99 4,217.65 € $4,820.17 9.48%

Renting 54000.00 1,350.00 € $1,542.86 3.03%

Material

acquisition 8364.49 209.11 € $238.99 0.47%

Taxes 114480.00 2,862.00 € $3,270.86 6.43%

Comissions 4657.51 116.44 € $133.07 0.26%

Projects JMDS 99636.00 2,490.90 € $2,846.74 5.60%

FCB 153125.00 3,828.13 € $4,375.00 8.60%

FCG 414652.00 10,366.30 € $11,847.20 23.29%

GVG 47000.00 1,175.00 € $1,342.86 2.64%

Subtotal 1780411.80 44,510.30 € $50,868.91

Differenc (A-B) 176940.32 4,423.51 € $5,055.44

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