In March 2009, the Progresando Training Center was inaugurated in Samaná, Province of Samaná. The institution, the result of a partnership between Odebrecht América Latina e Angola and the Dominican Republic Department of Social Action, assists some 5,000 families.

The action has taken place since 2008, near the site where the company is building the Palomino Hydroelectric Power Plant. Most of this agricultural production is absorbed by the Odebrecht construction site, but the idea is to expand its sale into nearby markets. The project also includes support for raising small animals and environmental education for the population.

A similar investment was made in the zone of influence of the El Río-Jarabacoa Highway, which connects the municipalities of Jarabacoa and Constanza.

Located within a protected environmental area – the Green Ebony Reserve –, the road has been under the process of reconstruction by Odebrecht since November 2010. Around it, the communities of El Salto de Jimenoa, Paso Bajito, Masipreso, La Posilga and La Pita, 35 families are being trained to manage plantations in a greenhouse system and at 32 egg production farms.

In the coastal city of La Romana, which integrates the Eastern tourism center of the Dominican Republic, the company is engaged with a professional training project.

For the practical mechanic, electricity and welding classes, a 330-square meter workshop was set up at the Mir Esperanza Polytechnic School, with appropriate installations for storing tools and equipment.

The action will benefit 250 students per year in the area near the construction work for the Del Coral Expressway, the road that connects La Romana to Punta Cana, the country’s most important tourism zone. Extending 86 km, the Expressway will guarantee more speed and safety for travelers, cutting the commute time between Santo Domingo and Punta Cana in half and driving new investments in the region.

In the area of Education, there are also literacy projects for children and adults, digital inclusion for teachers and lectures designed to promote dental health and prevent dengue fever and cholera.

In other sites in which it operates, Odebrecht is also dedicated to promoting actions that combat maternal and child mortality, the reforestation of native species, recovery of sports areas and the professional and sports inclusion of individuals with physical disabilities.