The summary below was provided by the Peace Corps Volunteer and the community administering this project.

We live in a small, rural community west of a city considered the mango capital of the Dominican Republic. In a joint effort between the Mother¿s Center of our community and the Foundation for Agriculture and the Environment, a community economic development project was developed in 2003 with an emphasis on business development for women. This cooperative of 36 women produces quality dried fruit and marmalade products using local mango and pineapple. The Coop has the capacity to produce enough products to sell in both the national and international markets. However, due to lack of basic training and equipment, the administrative and production processes are lacking in efficiency and effectiveness and therefore, the cooperative has not yet reached its target market. For this, the three prominent goals of the project are to improve marketing tools and strategies, to increase production efficiency, and to improve quality control practices in order to meet the Good Manufacturing Practices and Standardized Sanitation Operating Procedures monitored by the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization (WHO/FAO). The project will aid the Coop in meeting these goals by providing tangible tools and training in marketing/sales, basic administration/record keeping, and production and sanitation practices.

The project will include purchasing promotional materials, basic equipment and various items to improve upon all categories of the sanitation standards. Community contributions will include products for promotions, transportation costs, miscellaneous expenses, and an audit of the sanitation standards set by WHO/FAO near the completion of the project.

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