Overview

The Haitian-Dominican border region, an impoverished area most often neglected and overlooked, serves as a site for daily trade activities, which generate substantial revenues that ironically, never reach the people who inhabit the nearby towns. These borderline villages are hubs for individuals from both sides of the island, who come to search for employment to improve their inhumane life conditions. Theses communities are racked by hunger, maternal and neonatal mortality, as well as, chronic bacterial and parasitic diseases; most of which can be prevented by regular healthcare, immunizations, prevention & educational services. Unfortunately, these towns lack sufficient resources to provide its residents with this necessary primary medical attention and other basic needs.

Responding to the need

FUNTOSALUD Spanish acronym meaning (“All for Health”), incorporated as a non-profit since the 1990’s, under Executive Number 441-98 organized a healthcare provider team and a food distribution project in the area. However, the foundation’s ability to continue this humanitarian work is rapidly declining because support is not very common for grassroots humanitarian projects such as this. In response, a partnership between FUNTOSALUD and Haitian and Dominican descendants from the US Diaspora created the Annual Border Health Mission Project and in 2008 established FUNTOSALUD International in the United States. This multidisciplinary initiative looks to make this humanitarian and solidarity project empowering and sustainable through the expertise and dedication of professional volunteers who travel to the Haitian-Dominican border towns and Bateyes.