URBANIZATION,
POVERTY, AND CHILDREN IN LATIN AMERICA
Dominican Republic: Case
Study 1999
Andrew Good
CASE STUDY
COUNTRY: Dominican Republic
PROGRAM: Red Cross "Savers of Hearts"
LOCATION: Santo Domingo
SPONSORSHIP OF PROGRAM:
Red Cross and donations
HISTORY OF PROGRAM:
Developed to reach out to disenfranchised youth.
APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF CHILDREN SERVED:
120-160
CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDREN SERVED:
Children in the street at the time of operation.
HOW CHILDREN ARE RECRUITED/SELECTED:
Any children in the street at the time of the exercise
are eligible.
PROGRAM SERVICES:
Each weekend youth in the Red Cross ride through
the main thoroughfares in Santo Domingo. They administer medical help
to children and adults. They give vaccinations and snacks to street children.
In addition they organize soccer games. This is an attempt to allow children
to be children. These services are not limited to children of the streets;
they help any children in the street at a given time.
FINANCIAL BASIS OF PROGRAM:
The Red Cross provides both funding and medical
equipment. Also the volunteers ask for voluntary donations of 1 peso when
they work. This is more symbolic than anything else.
PHILOSOPHY OR APPROACH:
Reach children in their own environment with needed
medical attention. They see it as more effective than making children
come to them.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
This program allows children to interact with other
children from different backgrounds.
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Case Studies
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