Impact Spotlight
Contributing to the recovery of identity documentation for more than 27,000 Dominicans of Haitian descent, strengthening their ability to exercise citizenship rights
Providing renewable energy with battery backup to 1,000 people across two communities
Expanding the capacities and opportunities of batey communities through technical training, human rights education, leadership, and economic development
About
In the Dominican Republic, thousands of Dominicans of Haitian descent have faced processes of denationalization and exclusion that have limited their access to nationality, identity documentation, fundamental rights, and equal opportunity, increasing their vulnerability to discrimination, labor exploitation, and abuse. In the bateyes, significant gaps persist in access to basic services, education, dignified employment, and economic opportunity. These communities are also home to Haitian migrant workers linked to the sugar industry, who face vulnerable labor and social conditions, working 12- to 14-hour days for low wages and without protection of their labor rights.
Reconoci.do works with these communities to strengthen their capacities, leadership, and organization, promote the effective exercise of their rights, and expand their opportunities for economic development, participation, and advocacy.
“We decided to take action in solidarity with the bateyes, to show that that reality can be transformed right away, immediately. It’s very easy. And the right of energy has to be for everyone, especially in the Caribbean, where climate adaptation is extremely important.”
HF Partnership
Reconoci.do's multi-year partnership with the Honnold Foundation has demonstrated that access to clean energy can be far more than an energy solution: it can become a platform for expanding rights, opportunities, and community autonomy. With the Foundation's support, Reconoci.do has brought solar energy to historically excluded batey communities, creating better conditions for education, community organizing, and productive activities. This experience has allowed the organization to move toward a comprehensive model in which solar energy serves as an enabler of human and economic development.
In this new phase, the partnership seeks to scale that learning to directly benefit 1,500 people across more than 30 communities, integrating clean energy with technical training, human rights education, leadership, entrepreneurship, organizational strengthening, and community-led economic initiatives. Reconoci.do values this partnership because it is built on a shared vision: sustainable solutions are most powerful when they strengthen communities' capacity to build their own future.
In the News
