Commitment and will to generate change in community of Bonao

Commitment and willingness can trigger major changes, if a group of people decide to adhere to these values to transform the reality of their lives. This is the main lesson that the inhabitants of the community of El Caribbean, Bonao, have been in the past nine years.

And until 2002, the community of El Caribbean was one of the poorest of the poor, not only of the Monseñor Nouel province, but of the entire northern region. Poverty which carried with it high levels of violence and crime, as well as low educational levels, with a student attrition of 39% and an absence of a 70%.

This situation, coupled with the low health indicators, access to drinking water, housing dignified and income and employment far below acceptable standards according to United Nations, moved the heart of the tobacco entrepreneur Carlos Fuentes, who decides to help improve the living conditions of the inhabitants of the community. To do this, make a u000aAlliance with the Dominican Institute for Integral Development (IDDI) and initiate the community project Cigar Family. And hand in hand with this project was founded in the year 2006 the center of training comprehensive Cigar Family.

Transformation
"With this project are shows that Yes can be achieved the transformation in the population, if provided to the community education and improvement in living conditions." My home people came to ask you to be able to eat. He could not work because there were strikes every week. "Now, with the successful actions through the community project and the center of training comprehensive Cigar Family (CFICF), this is one of the quietest communities of the region, with sources of jobs for residents and quality education for children and adolescents", expresses sources.

David Luther, executive director of the IDDI, expresses that the Caribbean was a community-minded little solidarity, little interest in education, u000afamily breakdown and a feeling of dependence and pervasive paternalism. "Here there culture of dialogue", affirms.

But this reality has been transformed since the beginning of the project, which is an international model of collaboration between the State, the private sector, civil society, members of the Cigar Family and community-based organizations premises.

( ) on the center of training INTEGRAL

Rosanna Sirí, general coordinator of the project, indicates that the Centre for Integral training has 450 students from pre-school to baccalaureate 4th, in addition to 5,620 youth involved in activities complementary.

Offers a comprehensive education that includes technical, training the dominance of English and French, art and craft classes and sports variety.

Achievements in education include the following:

ï the two promotions of graduates of the u000aCentre for Integral training Cigar Family are registered at universities of your choice.

ï project was the first winner of the recognition of the United Nations Global Compact.

ï highest ratings of the country in the Ministry of education assessments.

ï the highest average of promotions of graduation at the regional level (four consecutive years).

ï 0% dropout rate.

ï rate of absenteeism of less than 2%.

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