ALLENTOWN, Pennsylvania — Lewis Tejada never expected a trip to his family’s homeland to become a year-long donation campaign. Over three days in August 2023, Tejada and his family delivered food, clothing and medical supplies to people experiencing poverty in the Dominican Republic. They have since established a charity organization, Hijos de Villa Tapia, that continues to send aid packages to the country.
In the Dominican Republic, 22.8% of the population lives in poverty and one-third of households lack access to a nutritious diet. The Borgen Project spoke with Tejada to get a first-hand account of the situation.
Aid for Rural Communities
Tejada and his father, siblings, cousins and friends visited towns in Cibao, a region in the north of the country. His father and their family friends had grown up in Villa Tapia, a significant town in the area and they went to nearby communities to give donations. They donated clothing, baby formula, diapers, medicine, rice, eggs and school supplies. They mainly provided the donated items to single mothers, young mothers and those taking care of older people, all of whom are at high risk of living in poverty in the Dominican Republic.
“I’m not sure if some of the places we went to had names,” Tejada said. “They had no paved roads and no electricity that I could tell. They were like shantytowns. Houses made up of cinder blocks with roofs made of metal sheets. They used propane tanks to power stoves or used wood-fueled furnaces.”
Women-Led Households Face Highest Food Insecurity Risk
One out of five Dominican adolescents between 15 and 19 are mothers and young mothers earn 20% less on average than women who give birth later in their adult years. Additionally, children born to young mothers are at higher risk of health issues than those born to older mothers.
According to the National Survey of Demography and Health, for 46.2% of Dominicans aged 80 and above, family is the only source of income. A survey by the Inter-American Development Bank found that more than 80% of caregivers of seniors or people with disabilities in the country are unpaid. Of these, 90.1% are women.
Tejada and his family also worked with community leaders who had connections to churches whose congregations came to receive donations. He noted that children were happy to receive shoes, which meant they no longer had to walk barefoot. Those caring for older people were grateful for the medicine and adult diapers.
Unequal Development
The country recently grew notably in gross domestic product (GDP): 5% in 2024 from 2.2% in 2023. During his trip, Tejada saw construction everywhere he looked. However, he believed these projects do not adequately address poverty in the Dominican Republic, saying they mostly benefit major towns instead of rural communities away from main roads.
“One mountain community we visited was pitted against the government because of proposed mining operations that would displace them,” he said. “These communities are situated near farms where the men of families work as farm hands. The opulent houses that dot these plantations were a stark contrast to the shantytowns we visited.”
Tejada added that some community members’ homes were more finished and sturdily built than their neighbors’ homes. According to him, these owners could only afford more expensive houses because they had family members who had moved to bigger cities or abroad and sent money back.
While in the community, Tejada and his family met Father Rogelio Cruz, a former priest and activist fighting poverty in the Dominican Republic. Cruz, based in the city of La Vega in Cibao, was protesting the mining development in the mountain community. According to Tejada, Cruz and his organization also replace people’s huts with modernized, low-cost housing.
Care for Haitian Immigrants
Tejada’s work also focuses on supporting Haitian immigrants in the Dominican Republic, one of the most marginalized groups in the country. Due to deep-rooted tensions between the two nations, many Haitians face discrimination, low-paying plantation work and limited access to health care and nutrition.
This strain traces back centuries. After Haiti gained independence in 1804, it occupied the Dominican Republic from 1822 to 1844, enforcing harsh policies that fueled resentment. That legacy still shapes Dominican attitudes today.
Tejada and his family partnered with churches to distribute donations, often reaching congregations with Haitian members. “For the churches, it’s a chance to convert people to Christianity,” he said. “For us, it was an opportunity to support a persecuted minority. Given the history, it felt momentous.”
Moving Forward
Hijos de Villa Tapia continues to support progress in the Dominican Republic. In 2025, Tejada’s father traveled to the country multiple times to hand out more donations and Tejada joined him in July. Their tireless commitment to rural communities, Father Cruz’s advocacy and churches’ care for Haitian immigrants will help end poverty in the Dominican Republic.
– Tyler Payne
Tyler is based in Allentown, PA and focuses on Global Health and Politics for The Borgen Project.
Photo: Flickr