In 2010

Mission Direct is working on a project to provide housing for families living in slums – often on a rubbish tip. So far they have helped to build fifty basic houses, and lent a hand as the delighted families moved in.

Project: Sousa Village

Intro: Sosua in the Dominican Republic is home to former hired hands from the sugar plantations – many have come across the border to Haiti. Thousands of people live in unsanitary conditions, in shacks made of sticks and rubble on less than £1 a day.

The charity The Samaritan Foundation has been building whole villages for the slum-dwellers of Sosua – so far 1,000 houses have been built.

Our Involvement: Mission Direct has been partnering with The Samaritan Foundation on the current building project since 2006, and has assisted with the building of 50 houses in the new village of Esperanza, including mixing cement, laying blocks, plastering and decorating. Volunteers often give new occupants items such as mattresses and bedding.

Outcomes: Fifty families have had their quality of life improved immeasurably, from the incredible squalor of their shacks. Their health, security and well-being are also hugely affected.