Education Across Borders and AllPeopleBeHappy Empower Rural Health and Education in the Dominican Republic
For over 25 years, Education Across Borders (EAB) has worked to ensure that students in the Dominican Republic are equipped not only with academic opportunities, but also with the basic conditions needed to thrive, starting with clean water and sanitation. With support from AllPeopleBeHappy, EAB is taking another major step toward 100% access to clean water and safe sanitation in two underserved mountain communities.
What the project will do:
- Distribute and install 40 household water filters and storage containers, along with training and follow-up to ensure correct use and long-term maintenance. This will bring 100% clean water access to the entire community.
- Design and construct 3 home-attached bathing and sanitation units (each with a toilet, sink, and shower), complete with training and follow-up care. This will increase sanitation access to 25% of the community.
These simple but powerful upgrades will directly impact 300 people. This will dramatically reduce the burden of water-borne diseases like cholera and typhoid, while enabling students to stay in school and parents to stay at work. In past projects, EAB has seen up to an 80% drop in preventable illnesses through similar efforts.
EAB’s “full circle” model recognizes that education cannot happen in a vacuum. In the rural and mountainous regions where they work, infrastructure is often unreliable, water contamination is common, and access to basic sanitation can be dangerous—especially for elders navigating rough terrain to reach outdoor latrines. That’s why EAB’s home-attached bathroom units are designed with safety and dignity in mind, especially for the most vulnerable. The project is deeply community-led and built with the help of local volunteers, supported by EAB scholarship students, and strengthened by long-term health partnerships.
A unique element of this project is the role of EAB’s Dominican scholarship students, who not only support the work on the ground, but also grow into empowered community leaders. Through project follow-ups, health surveys, and hands-on construction support, these students gain experience, confidence, and a deeper sense of ownership over their communities’ development.
Stay tuned for updates from the field as this work unfolds. If you would like to support this project, you can donate here!
Update: October 30th, 2025
We’re grateful to share a progress update from Education Across Borders (EAB), which is working to improve sanitation, clean water access, and overall community health in two rural Dominican communities: Arroyo del Toro and Janey. Through latrine construction and household water filters, this project is helping families access the basic resources they need to live healthier, safer lives.
Work on the latrines in Arroyo del Toro has officially begun–starting with the first of three household latrines. All of the materials needed for the project have been purchased and delivered to the construction site. Walls for the first latrine have been completed, and the structure has been connected to the home of Señora Natividad. Construction on the second and third latrines will begin immediately after the first is complete.
In the mountain community of Janey, all materials for the household water filters have been purchased. Water filters will be prepared for distribution to families identified as most at risk of water insecurity.
This season has brought several unexpected setbacks that have slowed the project timeline. Continuous rainfall throughout September and October made transporting materials and working at the sites difficult and sometimes impossible. The team also took time to mourn the tragic and unexpected death of a former colleague in mid-September, following the Dominican custom of nine days of mourning. This loss deeply affected staff capacity during that period. The team has pushed forward, working through every break in the weather to keep the project moving.
With strong experience in both sanitation and clean-water projects, EAB is confident that — once weather conditions improve — all work will be completed by December 31, bringing families a meaningful and much-needed gift to close out the year.
Final Update:
Access to clean water and safe sanitation remains a daily challenge for many families living in rural communities across the Dominican Republic. Through its Full Circle Transformation for All project, Education Across Borders (EAB), with support from the All People Be Happy Foundation, addressed these critical needs by implementing two complementary initiatives: the distribution of 40 household water filtration systems in the community of Janey and the construction of three Safe Bathing & Sanitation Projects (SBSPs) for highly vulnerable families in Arroyo del Toro. Together, these efforts are improving health, safety, and quality of life while strengthening community resilience.
For families in Janey, access to safe drinking water has historically been limited to contaminated wells, communal taps, or expensive bottled water. The installation of 40 water filtration systems provides a sustainable solution that reduces exposure to waterborne illnesses while eliminating the financial burden of purchasing drinking water. Families also benefit environmentally through reduced plastic waste and decreased reliance on firewood or propane for boiling water. Community surveys indicate that when clean water access is combined with improved sanitation, waterborne illnesses can be reduced by as much as 80 percent, creating healthier households and allowing families to dedicate more time and resources to education, farming, and other priorities.
The project also brought life-changing improvements to three elderly and highly vulnerable households through the construction of new Safe Bathing & Sanitation Projects. These facilities replaced unsafe and deteriorating latrines with secure, integrated spaces that include toilets, showers, sinks, privacy doors, and durable concrete construction. Beyond improving hygiene, the new facilities significantly enhance safety and dignity for elderly residents by eliminating the need to navigate dangerous outdoor terrain, particularly during rainy weather and nighttime hours. The improvements also reduce environmental contamination and exposure to disease-carrying pests.
A key factor in the project’s success was the active participation of local residents and student volunteers. Education Across Borders scholarship recipients supported logistics, health education, and distribution efforts, gaining valuable experience in community service and leadership. Partnerships with Wine To Water provided technical expertise, training, and long-term sustainability planning to ensure the systems continue serving families well into the future. Water filters are expected to remain effective for approximately ten years, while the sanitation units can last a lifetime with proper maintenance.
Most importantly, the project demonstrates how targeted investments in basic infrastructure can create lasting change. By improving access to clean water and safe sanitation, families are experiencing better health, greater security, and renewed hope for the future. The project has not only transformed homes—it has strengthened community solidarity and empowered residents to take an active role in building healthier, more resilient communities for generations to come.