Project Launch:

La Lima is a small rural town in the province of Santiago Rodriguez in the Dominican Republic. There are about 70 families that live there and several more that live in nearby communities. The youth currently had no recreational activities nearby; they live in the mountains and it is difficult to find and area that is flat and large enough on which to play baseball or soccer. With support from World Connect’s Kids to Kids Program in 2011, a volleyball court and a gym were installed right next to each other, giving all of the kids and adults in the community an opportunity for recreation and health improvement. Some of the youth used a tattered, old volleyball net that they stretched across an uneven dirt road to play with an always-partially-deflated ball. A more even and safer court allows players to compete more fairly and consistently and will encourage more people to participate more frequently. The ultimate result of this project is a healthier, happier, and more productive youth in La Lima and the surrounding area.