| Project ID: 1249
Executive Board Document: EB-2002-77-R-23-REV-1
Social and Economic Development Programme for Vulnerable Populations
in the Border Provinces
Who are the beneficiaries? The rural poor in the Dominican
Republic include small rural producers; landless farmers and seasonal
labourers; agricultural workers (including those on sugar cane plantations);
micro entrepreneurs; and small traders in the border provinces.
Extremely poor people, mainly of Haitian origin, especially the
women and children of this group, constitute a particularly vulnerable
segment of the population. The latest official poverty assessment
estimated that 56% of the population was living under the poverty
line and 19% under the extreme poverty line, with higher percentages
in the rural areas. About 70% of programme beneficiaries earn less
than USD 1 per day, the remainding 30% earning less than USD 2.
About 241 000 rural poor reside in the programme area and, of these,
50 000 are extremely poor. The target group is estimated at 105
000 persons, of whom 35 000 will be direct beneficiaries, including
9 000 Dominicans of Haitian origin living in bateys (settlements
for seasonal migrant workers) in the border areas.
Why are they poor? Rural poverty is mainly attributable
to scarce social and productive infrastructure; lack of access to
productive assets; limited employment opportunities; inadequate
agricultural services; falling international prices and reduced
markets for traditional agricultural products; and lack of support
to small rural business ventures. In addition, prejudice and social
exclusion are among the most important causes of poverty among the
poorest of the poor – Dominicans of Haitian origin. Furthermore,
vulnerability to natural phenomena, such as Hurricane George, adds
significantly to the difficulties facing poor rural people.
What will the programme do for them? In line with IFAD’s
strategic framework, the programme aims at strengthening organizations
of rural poor and their human and social resources as pillars of
sustainable social and economic development in the border provinces.
Human and social resources capacity in the programme area, particularly
with regard to people of Haitian origin and their grass-roots organizations,
will be strengthened through education, legal support to obtain
birth certificates and identification documents, training and investments
in social and productive infrastructure. The programme will finance
a long-term, marketoriented economic plan to guide production, business
and market support services. Special efforts will be made to ensure
that women have access to training and productive services. By means
of participatory methods, the programme will contribute to the Government’s
decentralization process in the border provinces, thereby promoting
a democratic and comprehensive institutional development framework.
The programme will also support activities geared to strengthening
national policies for poverty reduction, including action to reduce
conflict among poor rural groups at the community, local and national
levels.
How will beneficiaries participate in the programme? Based
on lessons from other IFAD-supported projects in the Dominican Republic,
programme design is based on a highly participatory framework, whereby
beneficiary organizations will be responsible for implementing community
development plans and deciding on programme investments and activities,
particularly during formulation of annual work programmes. Beneficiaries
and grass-roots organizations will participate fully in the implementation
of the programme, in local and regional development activities,
in appointing representatives to the Regional Steering Committee
and in monitoring and evaluation.
Loan Amount:
SDR 10.6 million (equivalent to approximately USD 14.0 million)
on ordinary terms
Total programme cost: USD 24.0 million
Cooperating Institution:
United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
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