Vida Plena
Artisan Training, Business Education, And Dignified Employment For Women
The words Vida Plena mean “full life”, and that’s exactly our vision for the women we serve. We exist to see these women flourish economically, emotionally, physically, and spiritually through providing opportunities in artisan trade training, micro-leasing and micro-loans, adult literacy classes, and dignified employment in a loving and Christ-centered environment.
What Is Vida Plena?
Vida Plena opened its doors with a training event hosted by the MudLOVE team on October 1st, 2018. Since then, we’ve been able to provide the full training and employment program for the women of El Hoyo and Monte Verde.
Vida Plena is a ministry of 2nd Mile Missions that provides dignified employment opportunities, artisan trade training programs, micro-finance support, adult literacy education, and Christian counseling. The women we serve live in the communities of Monte Verde and El Hoyo and have children attending a 2nd Mile Missions school.
Vida Plena is funded through both charitable and commercial partners in the Dominican Republic and the United States who purchase the handmade products created by the women who work at Vida Plena.
Our Programs
Artisan Training
We host artisan trade training courses that are open for any community members to attend. The goal of these events are to invest in the lives of the people who come to the training by helping them learn a skill that can be utilized with little to no startup cost.
Women who take part in the artisan training courses learn how to create jewelry, cleaning supplies, sewing, baking, and more. We choose the type of training course based on the unique tourist-driven economy here in the Dominican Republic.
Vida Plena also has a dedicated sewing workshop where women within the community can learn to sew. Students who show talent and perseverance in this area are given the opportunity to take one of our sewing machines home and work toward opening their own business.
Micro-Loans And Micro-Leasing
We offer women from the communities of El Hoyo and Monte Verde micro-loans and micro-leasing as a way for them to start a small business of their own. This can be a powerful way for women in these communities to truly change their life.
Within these communities, it is unlikely for a woman to qualify for a loan from a bank simply because of their gender and/or social status. Because of this inequality, women are less likely to be business owners or become financially independent.
Safe, Dignified Employment Opportunities
We believe everyone should have the opportunity to be in a safe environment, creating something they love. The work environment at Vida Plena is quiet, air-conditioned and built to help foster creativity in every employee.
Most of the women we work with through Vida Plena are immigrants from Haiti without any formal training and a low level of education. This, as well as their lack of fluency in Spanish, means they have very few opportunities to work and provide for their families.
Our goal is to help these women flourish economically, emotionally, physically, and spiritually as they work with Vida Plena. Most of the women who work at Vida Plena have children who attend a 2nd Mile Missions school. They can relax and focus on their own professional development knowing that their children are safe and are receiving a quality Christian education.
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?”
Isaiah 58:6
Our Impact
Vida Plena opened its doors with a training event hosted by a MudLOVE team on October 1st, 2018. Since then, we’ve been able to provide a full training and employment program for the women of El Hoyo and Monte Verde in the Dominican Republic.
101
Women Completed Classes
19
Micro-Loans & Micro-Leases
11,124
Pieces of Jewelery
Learn More
Additional Links & Resources
2nd Mile Missions Schools
Empowerment begins with education! 800 students are enrolled each year in at 2nd Mile Education Center and Hope Academy.
House of Hope
Restoring health and hope for the future by providing a safe, secure home for abused and abandoned girls.
Community of Hope Projects
We partner with communities and other like minded organizations to provide effective long-term solutions to poverty while maintaining the dignity of their culture.