About El Callejon



Typical El Callejon house

El Callejon means “Alley”, but also “Dead-end” or “Street of no return”.  It is a small community, just 5 kilometers from Jarabacoa, where 100-120 squatter families live. 

Most of the women work in the home filling their time with cooking, cleaning and caring for children.  The men of El Callejon work outside the community, In Jarabacoa or other places in the area.

the 'Banca' is not a bank, but a place to
purchase lottery tickets

Houses in El Callejon are made of cinder blocks, tin sheets, scrap wood, or whatever other materials are available.  Many houses remain only partially built as families do not have enough money to complete the work. 



After a rainstorm, El Callejon becomes a river.
Children splash through in flip-flops or bare feet.

As in the rest of the Dominican Republic, the majority of the people in El Callejon identify themselves as Catholic.  Sadly, this is often in name only, and not all understand what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus.  Through the work and presence of Students International, families are coming to faith, and some have become involved in area churches.
A common self-employment is owning a ‘colmado’, a small shop that sells food and/or other necessities.  Activity in El Callejon is centered around the four colmados, where the community sees a small amount of economic activity.  There is a small bit of farming between the houses, and there is a field behind the community set aside for this purpose.  Here they grow plantains, sugar cane, corn, eggplant and guava.

The people in the community are aware of their economic state, and display a lack of motivation.  Many will spend an entire day sitting outside their house or a colmado, simply because there is nothing to do, and nowhere to go.  The kids have goals and dreams, but growing up in El Callejon can rob them of a sense of purpose.  They see the adults living without hope, and begin to lose theirs.

Marriage in the legal sense in uncommon in the community, and many girls find themselves ‘married’, living with a man, at a very young age.  Many of these husbands will be abusive and unfaithful to their wives.  

"Jesus Loves El Callejon"

As women have received the hope of Christ, they have also craved lifestyle changes.  Starting in December 2009, we began to encourage and help couples in the community to legalize their marriages in order to better their relationships and live a more pleasing life before God.

There is much to do, but Jesus is here with us.  In the strength and power of the Holy Spirit, we are seeing changes in El Callejon.  What a joy to be a part of God’s work, meeting Jesus here in El Callejon!