Telling Our Story Home » Submit a story » Calendars » FAQs » About » Stories by Region Asia » Europe & and Eurasia » Latin America & the Carribean » Middle East » Sub-Saharan Africa »
	USAID Information: USAID Country Page More Stories From Dominican Republic FY 2006 Congressional Budget Justification Mission Web Site Selected Reports from the USAID Document Database External Links: U.S. State Department CIA World Factbook United Nations Development Programme (Spanish) World Bank Group
	Click for more stories from Latin America and the Caribbean
	Search by topic or keyword Advanced Search

Photo & Caption

Photo: USAID/Odalis Perez

Rogelio inspects a load of lumber drying in a solar-powered kiln.

Rogelio has been harvesting and drying wood for years. He works for the Agro-Forest Producers Association of Zambrana in the Dominican Republic. It’s hard work, and until recently he did not know there was a way to dry wood that was more efficient and that could actually increase his earnings.

Rogelio was eager to find out more, so he joined a USAID-sponsored program that uses solar kilns to dry harvested wood.

Not only is using solar energy more environmentally friendly, but the solar drying process makes better quality wood than traditional drying. This means harvesters like Rogelio can sell their wood for higher prices, bringing more income home and putting more food on the table for their families.

This program is part of a larger USAID effort to support the twin goals of helping to protect the environment while providing new economic opportunities in the Dominican Republic.

Print-friendly version of this page (309kb - PDF)

Click here for high-res photo

Back to Top ^