Our Work

Social Services of the Dominican Churches (SSID) works through there five regional offices to address the issues most important for community development.

Education

SSID’s preschool programs operate in 79 different communities and serve more than 1,500 children ages 3 and 4. The courses focus on social skills, nature, responsibilities in the home, respect, as well as, reading, writing, and motor skills.

Also in 17 different communities more than 300 adults are learning to read and write thanks to the support of SSID. In the Dominican Republic 1 in 5 adults are illiterate and less than 50% of the population finish high school.

Child being weighed to monitor malnutrition

Health Services

In the Dominican Republic 7% of all children under age five are malnourished or underweight, but in the 80 different communities where SSID is working there has been an 81% decrease in the number of malnourished children. This is thanks to the community health training and education that SSID supports.

Agriculture and Food Security

- SSID works in communities through their five regional offices to promote food security and crop diversification. These programs have helped more than 1,800 families in 63 different communities produce two million more pounds of food last year.

Man who received micro-credit loan to purchase plantains

Micro-Finance and Micro-Credit

SSID offers small micro-finance loans to families starting their own businesses, or who need help purchasing seeds for a new crop. They have also work with local banking institutions, helping families gain access to credit and loans.

Guillermo showing tilapia and tarpon raised in Dajabon

Fish Farming

In the northwestern regions of the Dominican Republic, SSID works with families to provide fish to 17 different communities. Tilapia and Carp are excellent sources of nutrition and also provide the participating families with a source of income.

Yeison of SSID working to dig a well in Carmona

Access to Water

SSID recognizes that access to clean drinking water means healthier families and a better quality of life. Every year SSID uses their equipment to dig wells for drinking water, livestock, and fish farming. They have created more than 50 new wells in the last 3 years and 100’s of wells since SSID was first founded.

Maria of San Juan teaching a workshop on community organizing

Community Development

SSID’s vision is to be a leader in community organizing and development in the Dominican Republic, and they do this by giving community’s and their leaders the skills needed to grow and improve their quality of life. SSID does this through workshops, community meetings, and trainings.

Carlos of Jimani carrying food to be sent to Port au Prince

Emergency Response

SSID is a member of the ACT Alliance, and helps coordinate emergency response in the Dominican Republic and in Haiti on behalf of Church World Service and Norwegian Church Aid. SSID also works in disaster prevention by helping train communities how to respond to emergencies and perform risk management.

Children from Haiti and the Dominican Republic walk together

Dominican – Haitian Dialog

SSID is proud to be in a leadership role with the Dominican – Haitian Dialog of Evangelical Churches. The program strives to connect the communities along the Dominican-Haitian border and works towards reconciling the relations between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Relations have suffered from decades of political manipulation, misunderstanding, and mistrust on both sides of the border.