The Need for Microfinance in the Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a Spanish-speaking nation located on the eastern half of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. Although parts of the country are well developed and draw tourists, there is significant disparity in the country, particularly between urban and rural areas. As of 2023, 16.9% of the Dominican population was living in poverty, with extreme poverty quite common in the rural areas.

According to the World Bank, “disparities in access to economic opportunities and public services remain deep. Poverty rates are persistently high in rural areas, and women face disproportionate challenges nationwide.” 51% of women are unbanked in the Dominican Republic, which is high compared to other Caribbean countries.

Making Loans in La Piedra

Located far from the tourist centers of the Dominican Republic, La Piedra is a small community where roughly 60% of residents live on less than $3 USD per day. Most residents depend on subsistence farming and informal work.

Located about 45 minutes from the capital, Santo Domingo, La Piedra—whose name means “The Rock”—has attracted both Dominican and Haitian residents because the land was largely unwanted by others. The vulnerability of its residents is further shaped by the presence of Haitian migrants and families of mixed ancestry.

Map of La Piedra in the Dominican Republic

Map of Monte Plata in the Dominican Republic

Making Loans in Monte Plata

The Monte Plata region, which lies about an hour northeast of the capital, is primarily a poor, agricultural part of the country. Known for cocoa and sugar cane, small farmers also raise corn, yams, cassava, and citrus. Monte Plata has not yet reached its tourism potential, despite the outstanding waterfalls and rivers that decorate the province.

Meet Our Partner La Piedra, Fundación Guanín

WorldWise Microfinance partners with Fundación Guanín, founded by Elias Severino Hernández in 2001, to address the lack of government services for the poor. The foundation provides education, health, and lending services to families in La Piedra. Its microfinance program, developed in collaboration with WorldWise board member Joe Bonnell, offers residents—especially women and Haitian-descended families—tools to stabilize livelihoods and invest in the future.

In 2024, a government crackdown on Haitian immigrants led to deportations, including some participants in the loan programs. Though we are discouraged by the losses, we remain committed to the Foundation and have taken steps to minimize any future losses.

Meet Our Partner in Monte Plata: the Organization for Development and Humanitarian Action (ODAH)

Our newest partner is the Organization for Development and Humanitarian Action (ODAH), led by Saturnino Perez. Founded in 2013 in the province of Monte Plata under the name “Youth Empowered for Transformation” (JET), the organization grew beyond its initial youth focus and transitioned to ODAH. Today, ODAH’s goal is community transformation through humanitarian action, with a strong commitment to risk management, community health, family support, social justice, and economic empowerment and inclusion, working with the poorest of the poor.

Saturnino Perez is a Dominican lawyer of Haitian descent. His parents immigrated to the Dominican Republic from Haiti with Saturnino in the early 1990s, and his dad worked on the streets to support his family. In 2013, the children of Haitian immigrants lost their Dominican nationality, which denied them numerous rights, including access to school and work. Motivated by how this policy change impacted his family and other Haitian immigrants, Perez created JET, which became ODAH.

ODAH’s programs cover key areas such as:

Social Justice: Addressing immigration-related issues and combating domestic violence.
Microfinance: Facilitating access to small loans, financial education, and support for small enterprises, with special attention to women entrepreneurs.
Food Security: Through home gardens, container gardening, and animal husbandry, individuals are taught to raise food for their families.
Community Health: Developing programs that strengthen the well-being of families.

“We chose to work with Worldwise Microfinance because we share the same conviction: real development begins when people become the protagonists of their own change. At JET, we believe that dignity is not given, it is built.”

—Saturnino Perez • President, ODAH

A family outside a home in the Dominican Republic

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