After more than ten years of dedicated intervention, Plan International’s groundbreaking Down To Zero initiative has concluded its operations in the Dominican Republic, establishing a robust child-protection framework across 14 high-risk communities in the nation’s southern region. The comprehensive program specifically targeted areas severely impacted by tourism development and heightened social mobility, which have historically contributed to increased vulnerabilities.
The project achieved remarkable reach, directly impacting over 650 individuals across the provinces of Azua, Elías Piña, San Juan, Pedernales, and Barahona. Its prevention strategy centered on community empowerment, training 100 adolescents as prevention promoters and equipping 153 local leaders with skills to activate reporting and response mechanisms. Institutional capabilities were significantly enhanced through the engagement of 90 public and private sector representatives who collaborated on developing standardized case management protocols.
A cornerstone of the initiative involved confronting the cultural normalization of sexual exploitation through 24 distinct educational interventions. These included community film screenings and structured dialogues designed to break longstanding silences surrounding exploitation while building sustainable local capacity.
Project coordinator Luis Toledo emphasized the transformative outcomes, stating, ‘Today we witness more conscious communities, youth spearheading prevention initiatives, and local systems significantly better prepared to address cases effectively.’ He identified the establishment of self-sustaining protective ecosystems as the program’s most profound accomplishment.
Plan International, with over 35 years of operational presence in the Dominican Republic and outreach across 120 communities, has reaffirmed its institutional commitment to fostering secure and equitable environments for the nation’s children and adolescents. The concluding ceremonies, held February 17 in Barahona and February 19 in San Juan de la Maguana, marked the formal transition of protection responsibilities to strengthened local institutions.