As the summer dwindles down and the kids get ready to go back to school, we say good-bye to another wonderful summer and the successful completion of the “Soy Niña, Soy Importante” (SNSI) or “I’m a Girl, I’m Important” summer camp. SNSI is a summer day camp hosted by Fundación Tropicalia in the Dominican Republic that serves girls ages 9-12 with the mission of providing a safe, nurturing environment where girls can simply be girls. The camp’s objective is to remind girls of their value in society and instill in them the socio-emotional skills needed to make informed and important decisions like staying in school, staying safe and timely family planning.

Why girls, you ask? International statistics denote that young and adolescent girls are at special risk in developing, rural communities, and Miches is no exception. The Dominican Republic is the fifth country in Latin America with the highest pregnancy rate in girls and adolescents, and one extra year of primary school education increases a girl’s eventual wages up to 20%. The Global Gender Gap Report, published annually by the World Economic Forum since 2006, provides a framework for capturing and comparing the magnitude and scope of gender based disparities around the world. In 2014, The Dominican Republic ranked 78^th out of 142 countries; politically, women compose only 21% of government and hold only 16% of ministerial positions; and economically, the Estimated Earned Income (EEI) for women is only 39% of the EEI for men. SNSI was designed and is being developed to contribute to curbing these trends.

August 7^th marked the official closing of the three individual week-long long sessions which successfully served 257 girls in the Miches region. This was the fourth year organizing the summer camp in Miches and the curriculum included: Education in Values; Artistic Expression & Development; Development of Interpersonal Relationships, Self-Esteem and Self-Awareness; Sex-Ed and STD Prevention; Gender & Violence; Nutrition; Sports. The camp would not be possible without the financial contribution of our employees and partners, as such I’d like to give a special thanks to all the donors who helped change the life of a girl. To see updates from the camp and other initiatives by Fundación Tropicalia, stay tuned via Twitter @FundTropicalia, Instagram @fundaciontropicalia or Facebook.

Take a look at our on-line gallery of pictures and get a taste of fun and learning rolled into one.