The Village

The village of Cercadillo is located about an hour’s drive north of the center of Dominican Republic’s capital city, Santo Domingo.  Although the village is less than five miles from the community of Villa Mella, it seems cut-off from the rest of world due to poorly constructed roads and almost no access to public transportation.

It is estimated that 800 people live in the village, the majority of which are extremely poor.  With no running water and very little electricity, the lives of those in Cercadillo stand in sharp contrast to the wealthy of Santo Domingo.  The men of Cercadillo often leave the village before daybreak with their machete over their shoulder, seeking day labor jobs.  The work the women can find outside the village usually involves carrying heavy loads on their heads for hours, leaving them with little money and great pain at the end of the day. After spending the day doing work that no one else wants to do, the villagers often return home without enough money to feed their families. There are no paying jobs within the village.

Because many of the people in Cercadillo are undocumented, they have no access to quality medical care or education.  They are treated by the government as if they don’t exist. Ina York, project facilitator, has often said that although their government seems to have forgotten the people of Cercadillo, God never has.

“Although economically poor, the villagers are rich in many ways,” stated Ina.  “They have a strong sense of family loyalty, most are very hard working and the majority have a great desire to learn.  I would have given up long ago if I had to face what my women face on a daily basis. There is much the people of Cercadillo can teach we North Americans!”

BE CAREFUL!  You may easily find yourself wanting to come join us!

Watch this Cercadillo Video!