Fundación Tropicalia Empowers El Seibo Youth Through Positive Masculinity

Thirty boys from vulnerable families in El Seibo province stepped into a new curriculum this March, guided by professional behavioral specialists and social workers through daily camp sessions designed to dismantle rigid gender roles.

The Roots of Guardianes de Miches

Created in 2008 by Cisneros Real Estate alongside the Tropicalia tourism and real estate project at Playa Esmeralda, Fundación Tropicalia operates the Guardianes de Miches program in the Dominican Republic. The nonprofit organization implements social transformation through education and youth, environmental care, and sociocultural support, hoy.com.do reported, training boys in positive masculinity to counter traditional machismo and reduce violence against women.

Executive Director Katherine Durán and Senior Fellow Ritxar Bacete of Equimundo outlined the initiative’s structure and research findings. The organization splits its youth gender programs into Guardianes de Miches for boys and Soy niña, soy importante for girls, addressing specific regional vulnerabilities such as high rates of teenage pregnancy and child marriage.

Dismantling Restrictive Cultural Norms

Pilot workshops teach male participants emotional health, alternative conflict resolution, and egalitarian behaviors.

Bacete noted that vulnerable youths often internalize restrictive cultural norms that forbid emotional expression. One of the themes helps the boys and young men to settle matters through alternative conflict resolution, refrain from exercising violence against women, and learn to show their feelings, Bacete stated, as reported by hoy.com.do.

Comprehensive Community Support Across Miches

Beyond gender workshops, the organization delivers comprehensive community programs spanning economic inclusion, environmental stewardship, and sociocultural support. Educational initiatives feature school assistance and university scholarship alliances with institutions such as Universidad ISA.

Environmental projects focus on natural resource conservation, waste management, and organized beach cleanups. Economic inclusion efforts provide job training, entrepreneurship resources, and backing for the local productive sector. The sociocultural pillar houses the Soy Niña, soy importante program launched in 2013, which provides structured mentorship for girls aged nine to 18, concentrating on self-esteem, female empowerment, and comprehensive sexual education.

Research Findings Released in 2026

The Guardianes de Miches report, published in July 2026, details regional poverty challenges and youth developmental obstacles within the municipality. The research was conducted by Fundación Tropicalia in collaboration with the international hospitality brand Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. The study highlights how local popular culture frequently reinforces aggressive male archetypes, establishing a foundation for long-term behavioral intervention through the initial cohort of 30 boys.

A los menores se les forma en nuevos modelos de comportamiento, basados en el respeto, la empatía y la corresponsabilidad, alejándose de los estereotipos rígidos del machismo tradicional.

hoy.com.do