Dominican Republic

Just like a third of the world’s population, our Farmer-to-Farmer staff at the Washington, D.C. office and in our six field offices around the world (Colombia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Guyana, Jamaica, and Myanmar) are currently working from home because of the COVID-19 pandemic. While it may be from the safety of our homes, today on April 22, we would like to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.

Beekeeping is Cathy Shaw’s passion. She has found that most beekeepers feel the same way she does, and this was no exception in the Dominican Republic. Shaw helped beekeepers raise healthy and strong beehives as a Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) volunteer in June 2019. 

Partners has accomplished a lot in 2019, thanks to all of our supporters and members! We have compiled our top 2019 highlights from each of the four units: the Education and Global Citizenship Unit, the Economic Development and Health Unit, the Child Protection Unit, and the Membership Unit. We are excited for all of the life-changing partnerships to come in 2020.

On October 30, a former Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) volunteer, Bill Nichols, visited the Partners of the Americas’ (Partners) Washington, D.C. office to offer insight on his volunteer experiences. Nichols boasts an extensive history of volunteering, with 56 assignments over the past decade. 

Since 2008, August 19 has been designated as World Humanitarian Day to pay tribute to the aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service, and to rally support for people impacted by crises around the world. In honor of this year’s theme, #WomenHumanitarians, we celebrate the contributions of all of our volunteers, especially our women volunteers. In 2018, 6,122 Partners volunteers and members served more than 11,000 hours.

In commemoration of International Youth Day, Partners of the Americas is proud to support the United Nations in celebrating the power of youth as agents of change. This year’s theme is “Transforming Education,” centering on making education more inclusive and accessible for all youth. 

Learn more about the work of Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer Melanie Forstrom!

Children shouldn’t work in fields, but on dreams. Yet one in 19 children is engaged in child labor in the Americas, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. This year, Partners of the Americas commemorates World Day Against Child Labor by striving for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7, which calls for an end to all child labor by 2025.

Happy International Women´s Day. Today, Partners of the Americas celebrates International Women's Day. This year's theme is #BalanceforBetter, which calls for gender equity around the world, including in workplaces, governments, and the media. 

When Tennessee Partner's Jessica Edwards was finishing her Peace Corps Service in the Dominican Republic, she, like most Peace Corps Volunteers, was wondering what difference she made in the lives of local people with whom she worked. She found a way to answer this question through an innovative program, Picture Change.