In the municipality of Bajos de Haina, Dominican Republic, teenage pregnancy has become a common reality.
Alana Alcántara, only 15 years old, is part of this reality.
Her story reflects a problem that affects thousands of young people in the country, where the adolescent birth rate is 90 per thousand, almost double the world average.
The lack of resources, social inclusion and effective prevention are some of the factors that aggravate this situation.
For a dignified life
Faced with this panorama, the project For a Dignified Life, led by Father Cruz Echeverría and supported by ARCORES Dominicana (Augustinian Recollect International Solidarity Network), has emerged as a light of hope.
This initiative, which officially kicked off in November 2019, offers medical care, emotional accompaniment and training to pregnant teenagers, many of them living in conditions of extreme poverty.
In its first two years, the program has assisted more than 100 young women, providing not only medical, but also legal and psychological support.
Father Cruz, who has dedicated his life to the Dominican Republic for almost five decades, is the driving force behind this project.
The idea arose from his experience in a medical dispensary he founded in 1995, where he served low-income people.
When he saw the need for more specialized support for young pregnant women, he proposed creating a project that would not only cover their health needs, but also accompany them on their journey as mothers.
The program has a multidisciplinary team that is activated as soon as an adolescent girl enters the project.
From training talks on pregnancy prevention to medical and psychological consultations, the team is in charge of guiding the young women through such a delicate moment in their lives. ” We offer them all the help we can, but they also commit themselves to training and taking care of themselves,” explains Father Cruz in this interview with Noticias de Navarra.
The social impact of these pregnancies is not only limited to the physical health of young women, but also affects their future.
Many of them drop out of school, which reduces their chances of finding formal employment and perpetuates the cycle of poverty.
The project seeks to reverse this trend by providing support for adolescents to complete their education and have greater employment opportunities.
“Listening and helping others is one of the greatest things we can do.”
One of the most touching cases is that of Alana, who dreams of becoming a stewardess.
Despite the difficulties, she has found in the program not only medical support, but also a space where she can share her experience with other girls in the same situation.
“They have helped me with medicines, analysis and check-ups.
In addition, the psychological support has been crucial.”
The Por una vida digna project has not only been consolidated in Bajos de Haina, but has already begun to expand to other municipalities, such as San Cristóbal.
For Father Cruz, the objective is clear: to continue growing and offering support to those who need it most.
“Solidarity and closeness are fundamental in this work. Listening and helping others is one of the greatest things we can do.”
Finally, he adds that “what I do has less to do with religion, celebrations and cults, and more to do with caring for people, who in this case are adolescents, but in others are homeless, elderly or sick.
For me, solidarity and establishing relationships with people is key. That is the nourishment of my spiritual life“.
*All photographs are by journalist Unai Beroiz.