Why?
Bike Europe
Why?
Dominica Work Camp 2008
In Summer 2008 a team from the Swift Youth Group will be travelling to Dominica to help the local communities. The exact details of the work camp are yet to be confirmed but it is likely to be along the lines of the Ethiopia Work Camp of 2002. We expect to spend at least 10 days in Dominica helping to build houses, refurbish schools or working on other similar projects.
Clive is due to meet with the Dominican High Commisioner any day now to discuss our visit and how best we can help out. When we have details we will update this page.
Key Facts About Dominica
Dominica is an island nation and borderless country in the Caribbean Sea, the southernmost of the Leeward Islands. The size of the country is about 291 square miles (754 km²). The capital is Roseau.
The Dominican economy has high poverty (30%), high unemployment (23%), and a low per capita GDP (US$5,400). The Dominican economy has been hurt by problems in the banana industry. The entire economy suffers when weather conditions damage the banana crop, or when the price of bananas falls.
Almost all of the 70,000 nationals of Dominica today are descendants of African slaves, brought in by colonial planters in the 18th century.
Dominica is largely covered by rainforest and is home to the world's second-largest boiling lake. Dominica also has many waterfalls, springs and rivers. Some plants and animals thought to be extinct on surrounding islands can still be found in Dominica's forests. The volcanic nature of the island and the lack of sandy beaches have made Dominica a popular scuba diving spot. Dominica is home to several protected areas, including Cabrits National Park. The local people like to say that Dominica has 365 rivers.
See Wikipedia, Dominica, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominica for more information.
