Las Terrenas, Samana – United States Ambassador Robin S. Bernstein, visited several locations in the town of Las Terrenas, to monitor projects being undertaken in the area by the United States Government, through the Agency for International Development (USAID).
The Ambassador met with Las Terrenas Mayor Alex García, with whom she discussed the work that USAID has carried out with the support of the City Council, and with representatives of the Las Terrenas Tourist Cluster and a group from the American community in the area, with whom she spoke on issues of importance to the region. Likewise, Ambassador Bernstein and Mayor García inaugurated an aqueduct that will benefit 500 families in the community of El Naranjito.
On her way through the town of El Jamito, Ambassador Bernstein had the opportunity to talk with a group of women leaders from the community about the benefits for the family of having clean water. The support of USAID in El Jamito has focused on the construction of ten wastewater systems that benefit more than 25 families, an aqueduct by gravity and a well with pumping by solar energy that benefits 120 families.
The Ambassador also visited the community of Caño Seco where she was able to observe the contamination of the river and the operation of one of the 16 wastewater treatment systems built with USAID funds, which benefit 48 families.
In addition to the construction of wastewater treatment systems in the communities of El Jamito and Caño Seco, the United States Government’s work in Las Terrenas includes:
- Support for the elaboration of the Las Terrenas Land Management Plan, which governs urban planning in the area.
- Donation of funds for the construction or adaptation of four drinking water systems and the strengthening of the water committees that manage these aqueducts in the communities of Callejón de Bate, which benefits 60 families; El Jamito, which benefits 120 families; and El Naranjito, which benefits 500 families. The fourth will be built in La Granja.
- Financial support for the creation of the first prevention, mitigation and response committee (PMR) for disasters in Las Terrenas and the formation of the economic and social council whose objective is to support the municipality in the preparation of the participatory budget of Las Terrenas.
USAID Acting Director of Linda McElroy accompanied Ambassador Bernstein.
