Our partnership runs deep, and we’ve got the history to show it. We’ve worked very hard at our relationships, we’re proud of where we are today, and we’re excited for where we’re going.
My name is Anna Balakrishnan. I am the President and Executive Director of Project Corazón, and I’ve had the honor of learning and growing with an incredible community of leaders – from the Dominican Republic and United States alike. In this post, I’ll tell the story of partnership between Project Corazón and Misión Esperanza from my point of view. In the near future you will hear from other members of our partnership team, and especially from the Misión Esperanza leadership team – Eridania, Yessica, and Suger – names you’ll come to know well, if you don’t already. They are far wiser than I am, and certainly have more to share.
For over 10 years now, I, along with other members of our PC team, have been working with the same group of rural communities on the Northern coast of the Dominican Republic (DR). While considered an upper middle income country, nearly a quarter of the population in DR lives in poverty (World Bank Poverty and Equity Brief, 2023). Rural communities, like those where we work, experience a wide range of challenges relating to basic needs, health, education, economic opportunity, and more, while also being abundant in strength, creativity, and vibrance. Anyone who has worked in this area/profession will tell you not only of profound need, but of profound joy, and resilience.
Organizations have come and gone from this group of communities over the years, initiating various projects with a range of success and longevity. I’ve had the opportunity to work with/for many of them. But with the ebb and flow of resources, people, and NGOs from this region, one thing has remained constant: the dedication of community leaders that work, day in and day out, to serve their community.
I have had the honor of working closely with some of these incredible leaders – individuals that labor tirelessly to support the needs of all those around them. I’ve come to know them like my own family. I have seen the ways they move heaven and earth to help others and the deep trust they have with community members, all while navigating their own challenges and limited access to resources.
Three of these leaders, Eridania, Yessica, and Suger, run Misión Esperanza, a Dominican-based nonprofit that nurtures youth as leaders of change, seeking to meet the multidimensional needs of community members (such as basic needs, education, and health). Their youth programs are a bright light as they guide teens who come together to design service projects to help their communities, all while building and refining leadership skills. In our work together, we have witnessed the myriad ways community members turn to this trusted organization in times of crisis, and the powerful impact it has on their lives.
Despite their extensive experience and wisdom, Misión Esperanza has been under-resourced. Indeed, it is difficult to raise funds for an organization not based in the US. Stronger financial backing, capacity building, and network sharing would strengthen their ability to meet their needs and those of their community – expanding their impact.
That’s where Project Corazón comes in. As a nonprofit organization based in the United States, Project Corazón’s mission is to partner with local leaders in impoverished communities to strengthen their capacity and support them in creating the changes that are most important to their community.
We created Project Corazón with a lot of love, and yet no shortage of trepidation. Why? Because so often, when a US-based organization gets involved, the power dynamic changes – and the honoring of local expertise gets diluted through a change in the flow of money, power, decision making. That’s why, at Project Corazón, we are committed to getting partnership right and keeping the power where it should be – in the community. Therefore, our work is underpinned by our values: 1) community-first, 2) empowerment, and 3) anti-oppressive practice. Collectively, our values ensure that we champion the expertise of community leaders who have long been doing this important work. This is a lifelong journey of learning, reflecting, and practicing – and we look forward to sharing it with you.
We are endlessly grateful for our collaboration with Misión Esperanza, and the wisdom, trust, patience, and love they share with us.
We’ve known each other for years. We’ve learned together, celebrated together, cried together, failed together, succeeded together, and grown together. When we asked the Misión Esperanza team about the values they would want to be instilled in Project Corazón, they shared phrases such as “we should have unity” “work together hand-in-hand” “care about the community with us” “to be together in everything.” It is thanks to these conversations that we have our fourth value, togetherness.
This partnership is the heart of our work, and it means the world to us. Our team is dedicated to learning and growing, together, in service of the community. We would be delighted to have you join us in any way that is meaningful to you. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for taking the time to be here, and we look forward having you as part of this journey.
Project Corazón, Incorporated 