Dominican Republic
Discover real-world stories of communities overcoming poverty and deforestation! Plant With Purpose, a Christian non-profit, shares examples of environmental sustainability and stewardship from all around the world. These stories show us how faith, resilience, and sustainable practices transform people’s lives as well as their environment. As rural families overcome poverty and heal the planet, embrace empowerment, renewal, and hope.
About Our Work, blog, Burundi, Dominican Republic, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Mexico, Our Response, Tanzania, Thailand
In the voices of our partners
One of the more complex nuances of working across different countries and cultures is storytelling and communication. When done poorly, organizations run several risks: from dehumanizing the people they seek to help to diminishing the role local actors play in advancing progress. In this post, CEO Scott Sabin shares how to allow our partners to […]
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About Our Work, blog, Burundi, Dominican Republic, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Mexico, Tanzania, Thailand
LET THE LOCALS LEAD
While having country-based leadership in all of our programs is important, we take it a step further and the advantage of local leadership is undeniable. The importance of having local ownership over our mission and program activities has been emphasized at Plant With Purpose from the very beginning. Back in 1984, Plant With Purpose was […]
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Dominican Republic, Environmental Restoration
Andres from Zumbador
Like much of the world, Andres relied on land to live Getting to Andres’ farm from any of the Dominican Republic’s main roads takes a series of dusty streets and switchbacks. The closer you get to the farm, the more and more it starts to look like the Garden of Eden, with coffee, bananas, cassava, […]
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About Our Work, blog, Dominican Republic, DR Congo, Haiti, Sustainability, Tanzania, Thailand
The Value of Multilateral Partnerships
Plant With Purpose partners are autonomous but interdependent On the day that Plant With Purpose was established in 1984, two organizations were created as partners. Floresta International was founded in San Diego, California, and would later become known as Plant With Purpose. In the Dominican Republic, Floresta Incorporada was launched, where it continues working to […]
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All, Dominican Republic
My faith has come from difficult moments
Sometimes it’s the hardest moments of life that produce the most growth If we were to list out the most meaningful things we’ve done throughout our life and then make a second list featuring the most difficult things we’ve ever done, I suspect we’d find a good amount of overlap. Things that are worthwhile are […]
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All, Dominican Republic
Breaking Ground in the Borderlands
If you’ve been to the Dominican Republic, chances are, you saw the eastern part of the country, either the coast or the area around the capital of Santo Domingo. Statistically, these are the places most visitors go. Far fewer visitors go west. If you have, you may have more intimate knowledge of the Dominican Republic, […]
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All, Dominican Republic
The only nail polish I use is dirt
Fefela stands out in her community for her hard work and dedication to restoration. In fact, Fefela might never sit down. During our team’s visit to her community of Los Piños, she was up and moving the entire time, making sure that everything was running smoothly. The community of Los Piños in the Dominican Republic […]
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All, Dominican Republic
God is very much alive
Has God ever felt quiet to you? God is always present and near. But that doesn’t mean it always feels that way. Throughout the course of one’s lifetime, there may be long stretches of silence and seasons that feel unusually dry. Sometimes, our relationship with God can feel like going on a long road trip […]
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All, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Living Sustainably, Meditations, Thailand, Updates
This is what gratitude looks like
At the end of each year, many of us try to turn our focus towards gratitude. We reflect on what really matters in our lives. We take inventory of blessings. We go around the table at Thanksgiving to share what we are thankful for, then reinforce our gratitude in family newsletters shortly afterwards. We are […]
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All, Dominican Republic, Updates
Say hello to Señor Cheo
In his village, there were no banks. And that was a big problem. Palmarito is in the rural Dominican Republic. Like many rural parts of the country, the community lacked banks. This wasn’t just an inconvenience. Having somewhere to save your money makes a big difference in economic wellness. Having an opportunity to take out […]
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All, Dominican Republic, Updates
A new outlook- and a new look- in La Represa
In the central hills of the Dominican Republic sits a community that has been part of the Plant With Purpose family for many years. La Represa has become an exciting example of what kind of change is possible when we invest in holistic change. Once they faced a situation familiar to many in the rural […]
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All, Dominican Republic, Updates
Why diversify? Just ask Arfanio
Diversify! Visit any farmer field school across Plant With Purpose’s international programs, and you’ll find people enthusiastic about why you should diversify your crops and income. Why? To put it simply, diversity is strength. In many developing countries, farmers have been encouraged to over-invest in a single cash crop. At various points in time, certain […]
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All, Dominican Republic, Updates
The changed life of Pablo
Ruta 1 transects the Dominican Republic from north to south. While it is a major road, an hour away from it sit a number of communities that are quiet. Rural. Often overlooked. Maizal is one of these communities. Here, you won’t find any banks, any grocery stores, or any major commercial areas. You’ll instead be […]
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All, Dominican Republic, Updates
Save money. Find something you’re good at
Marcos and Maria are a couple full of joy. The community of La Joya is nestled an hour away from Piedra Blanca in the Dominican Republic. Those living in living these rural areas often lag behind the rest of the country’s economic development. As the Dominican Republic experiences economic growth, the gap in between the […]
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All, Dominican Republic, Updates
Putting the world's biggest problems in reverse
Poverty and deforestation are harsh on vulnerable populations. For generations, the community of La Joya in the Dominican Republic relied on farming. Good production of coffee and graperfuit allowed pig and cattle farmers to produce enough for their families and people. This all started to change as deforestation began and brought many problems. A lack […]
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