Off to the Dominican Republic!
The Vitamin Angels team is returning to the Dominican Republic (DR) to visit with the children who are receiving vitamin A and multivitamins through our Operation 20/20 and Thrive to Five programs. I was last in the DR in 2009, and was again struck by the difficult living conditions most people face. Approximately half the DR population of 10,000,000 people lives below the poverty line on just a few dollars a day.
I’m thrilled to have Vitamin Angels’ Logistics Coordinator, Ann Micka, join me on this trip. Ann is responsible for ensuring Vitamin Angels’ product is shipped to our partners around the world – an extremely important role! Our staff photographer Matt Dayka will be joining the trip as well, so make sure to stay tuned for some of his incredible photographs!
Our partners at the Batey Relief Alliance have been making tremendous strides toward the improvement of local communities in the DR for many years. The medical clinics they run are impressive, and this along with the vitamins we’ve been providing, has greatly improved the health of the children and mothers we are serving. I am really looking forward to being back and seeing the children again.
Upwards!
Howard Schiffer
President and Founder
About the Dominican Republic:
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported in 2010 that of children from the DR under the age of 5:
- 14.0% suffer from vitamin A deficiency
- 34.6% are anemic
- 3.4% are underweight
- 10.1% are stunted
- The under-5 mortality rate is 33 deaths per 1,000 live births (1 in 30).
- 42.2% of the population of the DR lives below the poverty line
Be sure to follow along with our team in the DR! They’ll be sending updates from the field, including stories of those they meet, and images from the in-country community-based vitamin A distributions they’ll be visiting.
notes from the field:
Vitamins in High Demand - March 2, 2012
Growing by Leaps and Bounds - January 29, 2012
A special thanks to:
Our friends from UNFI and Goodwin Procter for joining us in the DR. The Vitamin Angels team is excited to have you along for the adventure!
Vitamin Angels’ in-country partner Batey Relief Alliance for hosting our team.
The companies below whose donated product makes our work in the Domincan Republic possible, and to all our financial contributors who support projects like this one all around the world:
.gif)
