Children in the Dominican Republic 🏝️ Country and people in the Dominican Republic

followmikecee (61)in #life • 6 years ago (edited)

Hola mis Steemians

Children in the Dominican Republic - a very special topic, which I address today, because many can perhaps not even imagine that there is something else besides the so-called "protected world".

Here in the Dominican Republic, everything is a bit different: a child's life is determined by the family. But what does that mean in plain language?

Here, too, a child grows up in a "normal" family without any major problems, can of course go to school, possibly study, and does not have to worry too much.
But it's totally different in a family where money is scarce - where the parents may even be unemployed - where poverty is the cause. There the child quickly learns what it means to earn money.

Maybe you've been on holiday here before, then you've probably already met the shoeshine boys or the kids who cleaned the windows of your car. Some of these children have not even reached the age of 7, but they already earn money so that the whole family can live.

Of course, such children go to school only conditionally - if at all - and so you can easily imagine their future prospects. The local schools can't be compared with your ideas of a normal school anyway. Here we distinguish between:

the public schools, which cost nothing, some of the books are free and the children sometimes get a small breakfast.

and

the private schools. They start at about RD$600 per month - but there are hardly any limits to the number of students. I know here a private school in Santo Domingo, where the parents pay in the first year RD$25,000 monthly only pure school fees. Then there are school books and the school uniform (which is standard here) - a very expensive "pleasure", which not everyone can afford. Especially since the average wage here is about RD$ 8'000 - 12'000 (160 - 210 Euro).

In general the children are (or must be) independent much earlier. A 10 year old girl already knows how to cook, clean and do the laundry. Hard to believe, isn't it? And they grow into women much earlier - what does that mean? - that many already have their first experiences with 14 years (partly already much earlier). Of course there are also laws here concerning minors, but rarely it comes to the announcement or to a conviction.

And especially here male visitors should be very careful that an island beauty does not turn out to be 13 years old! This could become problematic for the holidaymaker under circumstances, because here applies: If you are white, then you are considered as stone-rich and then one tries naturally also to get something out of you.

One thing I have seen here again and again; the boys are brought up as "machos", i.e. they are allowed to do everything at home, do not need to help in the household and are treated like little adults at an early age. And the fathers are proud when they can take their boy to the Colmado or the pub on weekends at the age of 10.

So the boy learns very early that he has to be a macho - if this is the right upbringing, we leave it to the discretion.
On the other hand, the girls are not allowed to do anything. They have to help at home, and usually they have a "guard" all the time, even if it's just the younger brother.

You see, the life of a child here is not as rosy as in Switzerland or Germany, for example, where one grows up rather sheltered, and where the child with 12 years still plays with dolls or cars. But when I see them here - mostly they shine, are always friendly and in some way also happy.

But unfortunately the civilization and the contact with holidaymakers has changed the children a lot - I can still remember my first time here on the island, where the children begged for a peso - today they ask directly for a dollar.

Who do you think is to blame here?