Heal, Empower, Inspire through Art and Music (HEIAM)
Dominican Republic, May 22nd to July 14th, 2017
Phoebe Do ’17, Charlotte Moreno’17, Mairead McCarthy’18
Gettysburg College
Background
The Dominican Republic shares Hispaniola, a Caribbean island situated between Cuba and Puerto Rico, with the
Republic of Haiti, which was founded in 1804 as the result of a successful slave uprising. Haitians unified the island in 1822
until the Dominican ruling class declared independence from Haiti in 1844. Since then, the Dominican Republic has
developed a Eurocentric and anti-Haitian notion of national identity despite their country’s ethnicity, which is estimated
at 80% mixed African and European, 15% black, and 5% white.
Even today, anti-Haitian sentiment exemplifies the general inclination to reject African descent and praise
historical Western values in Dominican identity. Poverty, racism and inequality are even heavier on the shoulders of
women, who are oppressed because of their gender identities. Financial instability and legal bias against women renders
them powerless with domestic abuse, which has become culturally normalized. Children grow up within this culture that
views women and dark skin as undesirable. Women and children are the most vulnerable group to the social inequality.
Mission and Objectives
With the endowment of the Davis Project Funding, HEIAM seeks to build the basis for various development
projects in the Afro-Dominican communities of Limón and Los Francos (in the San Cristobal area). We will work in
partnership with Fundación Iniciativas Cultura y Desarrollo, an on-ground organization operated by our partner, Xiomara
Fortuna, an Afro-Dominican musical artist and social activist. HEIAM aims at achieving the three following objectives:
● HEAL the women by providing health support, educating, and empowering collective efforts.
● EMPOWER the community by supplying community facilities and teaching women robust leadership skills.
● INSPIRE the children to become passionate leaders tackling issues in their community with art and music lessons.
Fundación Iniciativas Cultura y Desarrollo (FICD)
Our partner is a local non-profit organization committed to the development of environmental and cultural
revitalization. The Ecological Rancho Project the Campeche (REC) seeks self-sustainability for the organization through the
provision of services related to environmental education, ecological and cultural tourism, for the promotion of love for
nature and the empowerment of urban and rural citizens in responsibility with the environment. From donations and
renting facilities to educational groups, the organization facilitates after-school educational program, promotion of local
music, and international education on cultural & environmental issues. Xiomara Fortuna, the founder of FICD, and local
artists and musicians, have supported such initiatives through art & music on local, national and international scale. Every
year, Gettysburg College organizes an Immersion Project in the local community that FICD works with.
Execution Plan
To achieve the stated objectives, our project will execute a community development program (1); and an educational
program for children and women of the target community (2).
1. Community Development Program:
As suggested by our partner and the women in the community, one of the urgent needs is access to basic and
reproductive health care. In response, we will renovate a room on the ground into a “Botica”, a small store that sells
health-care products of common diseases (such as flu, diarrhea). The space will be provided by FICD and run by employees
that are members of the communities. The “Botica” is envisioned to function as a business initiative that brings local
income and employment. During the summer program, free birth control will be provided as part of reproductive health
education while we seek support to sustain a future supply of free birth control.
2. Program for Women and Children:
Women Program
We will facilitate 2 sessions each week on the listed
content, which we prepare in advance in consultation
with the local Survivors Inc. and the Women Center at
Gettysburg College Bi-weekly reflection sessions are
opportunities to discuss, reflect, and review. We will
Children Program
We will incorporate the following content
through
session
which,
circumstances
permitting, will include art lessons and music
lessons in percussion, or flute (recorder). We will
purchase musical instruments, and art supplies,
Week 1
(5/22-26)
Week 2
(5/29-6/2)
Week 3
(6/5-9)
Week 4
(6/12-16)
Week 5
(6/19-23)
Week 6
(6/26-30)
Week 7
(7/3-7)
Week 8
(7/10-14)
supply free grain, birth-control, and resources to
encourage female participants.
Discussions on women’s roles in the community, and
education for women.
Education on birth control, STIDs, and common
health knowledge
and renovate classroom facilities and give out
school supplies.
Leadership: “Make the changes you want to see
in the world”
Equality and elementary concepts of
discrimination
Reflection session & a shared meal.
Respect and equal treatment of women
Discussions on beauty standards
Beauty Standards
Discussion on domestic roles, trainings on prevention
of domestic violence and sexual assault. Introduction
of a “24/7 Safe Zone” to be provided at FIDC.
Reflection session & a shared meal.
Free topics chosen by children
Education on child care and healthy habits
Education and Career Aspiration
Diversity and Cultures around the World
Discussion on leadership role in community issues. Gender and sexuality
Create a woman’s association that commits to
intervening, and providing shelter to each other.
Final Celebration
Expected Outcomes and Sustainability
Our partner, FICD, has been facilitating similar initiatives in the community. HEIAM carefully researches and directs
a sharp focus on tackling the most urgent needs of the community, with 65% of the funding invested into permanent
infrastructure. After the program ends, FICD will continue such initiatives and maintain good use of the capital investment.
The Botica that we build will serve as a permanent supply of common health products and a sustainable economic
initiative by providing income and employment. Our program also focuses on the UN 21st Century Millennium Goal on
gender equality and female education as we believe women empowerment is an effective channel to overall sustainable
community development. For this reason, we invest in education for women on useful topics such as childcare, healthcare,
reproductive health and robust leadership skills on handling domestic violence.
HEIAM fortunately works with Professor Paul Austerlitz and the local art and music community, who have been
involved with art and music lessons for local children. The supply of musical instruments will empower, sustain, and
expand the program. Our inspiration is to plant the seeds of peace for future compassionate thinkers and brave leaders,
who will be critical to the development of this community.
Team Statement
Through an Immersion Trip in 2016, Phoebe Do has a good understanding of the target communities and close
relationships with existing organizations on the ground. Her fund-raising experience includes: $2800 for Project Gaia as its
intern and $4000 for Heifer International as the founder of a multi-cultural event. She has also worked in community
action programs with immigrants and conducted an economic research on topics of women empowerment and children
education. Charlotte Moreno has been actively engaged with understanding racial topics through her Spanish classes,
study-abroad experience in Ecuador, and her involvement in the Latin American Association. As a light-skinned Latina, she
has been involved with educating peers about racial topics through various channels such as a blog post called “A
Difference of Appearance”. As a Spanish & Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies major, Mairead Mccarthy has
studied abroad in both Ecuador and Cuba, which sparked an intense passion for social justice related to the Latinx
community. She also leads in community services such as a project where she teaches English to local immigrants, and an
immersion trip to the Onondaga nation in New York. Professor Paul Austerlitz offers his expertise and experience in this
proposal and will be involved as an adviser in the execution of the project.