Antonio lives with his father and his mother. At home, duties include running errands. His father is not employed and his mother maintains the home.
Antonio is not presently attending school. Listening to music is his favorite activity. He also attends Bible class regularly.
Because of your sponsorship, Antonio will have new opportunities to learn and grow physically, mentally, and spiritually. Thank you for your concern and prayers.
Antonio lives in the coastal community of Punta Brava, home to approximately 19,000 residents. Typical houses are constructed of cement floors, wood walls and tin roofs. The most commonly spoken language is Spanish.
The regional diet consists of bananas, bread, cassava, chicken and eggs. Common health problems in this area include amoebas, dengue and chikungunya. Most adults in Punta Brava are unemployed but some work in domestic services and earn the equivalent of $163 per month. This community needs employment opportunities, secondary education and vocational training.
Your sponsorship allows the staff of Centro de Desarrollo Integral Jassiel to provide Antonio with Bible teaching, health screenings and education, hygiene training, vaccinations, indoor and outdoor games, camps, art and music classes, retreats and computer courses. The center staff will also provide discipleship and evangelism for the parents or guardians of Antonio.
The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with Haiti. It has a tropical climate, but moist, year-round trade winds keep temperatures between 72 and 83 degrees.
Nearly three out of four Dominicans have both black and Caucasian ancestry. Spanish is the official language, and 95 percent of Dominicans are Catholic. Nearly 90 percent of Dominicans live in rural areas where unemployment is high and malnutrition is widespread. A family's diet consists mainly of rice, beans and chicken. Though agriculture was long the economic mainstay, in recent years growth in tourism and free-trade zones has made the service sector the country's largest employer. Compassion works with children in nearly every region of the country.
The Taíno people were the country's original inhabitants. In 1492, they welcomed Christopher Columbus in his first voyage to the island, but subsequent colonizers were brutal, reducing the Taíno population from about 1 million to about 500 in 50 years. Hispaniola became the center of Spanish rule in the West Indies. The indigenous people were wiped out and slaves were brought from Africa to populate the island. The descendants of those slaves form most of the population today. For three centuries, Spain governed Hispaniola, followed by France. In 1804, the western part of the island won independence as the Republic of Haiti. In 1844, the eastern two-thirds of the island revolted and formed the Dominican Republic. In 2004, Leonel Antonio Fernández Reyna was elected to his second term as president.
Map of Dominican Republic
Child's Location: n/a
