Habitat for Humanity distributes hygiene and healthy home kits to more than two thousand people

To reduce the transmission of COVID-19, Hábitat Dominicana is working on an integrated strategy that seeks to revive household economies and improve capacities to face future weather events in vulnerable communities in the Dominican Republic.

As a global leader among NGOs working on affordable housing, Habitat for Humanity Dominican Republic is focusing its efforts on the Housing, Communities + Hope campaign, with the aim of reducing COVID-19 transmission through a comprehensive strategy. The goal is to revive household economies and improve capacities to face future natural events in vulnerable communities in the Dominican Republic.

Thanks to the support of individual donors and companies, Hábitat Dominicana’s campaign has so far reached around 2,050 people in four communities by delivering hygiene kits containing alcohol-based hand sanitiser, surgical masks, disposable gloves, bleach, soap, washing powder, lidded water storage containers, a zip-lock bag and instructions on how to use these supplies effectively.

Likewise, as part of the campaign’s second phase, the organisation is carrying out actions that help families mitigate risks from natural hazards. With the support of community groups, it provides resilience kits containing materials, key tools and a techniques guide showing families how to strengthen their homes.

The director of Hábitat Dominicana, Cesarina Fabián, explains that the campaign aims to work in communities in Santo Domingo, San Juan de la Maguana, Azua, San Cristóbal, Haina, Samaná and Santiago, benefiting 5,000 families living in vulnerable situations; other communities can be assessed for intervention.

“At Habitat for Humanity we want to achieve a world where everyone has a decent, healthy place to live, from which they can effectively face COVID-19 and any natural phenomenon. We have extended this campaign for three more months to reach as many Dominicans as possible; it is clear that the home has been families’ first line of defence and is an essential engine of economic recovery,” says Fabián.

The campaign, whose slogan is “Today, more than ever, we must build together”, has been supported by companies such as Whirlpool Dominicana, Dominican Watchman National and ADOCEM, among others, and Dominican public figures such as Pamela Sued, Pavel Núñez, Miralba Ruíz, chef Leandro Díaz, Yadhira Pimentel, former beauty queen Kimberly Castillo, Gary de Arriba, Paloma de la Cruz and Ciudad de Ángeles.

There are many families to help, so Habitat for Humanity Dominican Republic invites people to get involved and donate through habitatdominicana.org . To follow the campaign, visit its social media at @habitatdominicana.

Habitat for Humanity Dominican Republic

Habitat for Humanity is a global non-profit, non-governmental organisation working to ensure everyone has a decent place to live, through programmes focused on housing microfinance, minimising risk and increasing disaster response.

Habitat for Humanity Dominican Republic empowers families to build strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter. Since it began its work in 1986, the organisation has delivered more than 27,000 housing solutions and impacted around 135,000 people. We empower through housing.