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We have moved to our new office.  We are now located at Road 30 of San Felipe de Villa Mella, number 64 in North Santo Domingo.  You can reach us by phone to make an appointment at 809-239-9802.  Our administrative assistant, Marilyn Brazoban will welcome you or you can make an appointment  with Rosa Martínez, the new Melassa director.  Other contact phones, Marilyn´s cel phone, 809-903-2627.  
 

Marilyn Brazoban, Melassa´s assistant  (in pink) and  Rosa Martinez, new Melassa director (in white)
Rosa and Marilyn offering an orientation workshop to Boston College students




Marilyn and Rosa Martinez with a group of students from Boston  College at Melassa´s new office.





Marilyn, Babala and Yomaira at the new office of Melassa in San Felipe de Villa Mella





The new office has a library available to students from the Mata de Los Indios School.   
Marilyn Brazoban talking with Roy from the Exchange Program at Emmanuelle College.

The Dominican Republic shares the island Hispañola with Haiti.  It has a population of eight million spread over more than 30 provinces, although the majority lives in its capital, Santo Domingo.  It is rich in cultural traditions and rythms like the Congos, the Pri-Pri, the Salve and the Gagá.  Its national patroness is the Virgin Altagracia and about 1 million Dominicans live abroad, mainly in the United States (New York, Boston) and Europe (Spain, Italy and Holland).

The first conquestors settled in La Isabela, near Puerto Plata in 1494, but were never satisfied with the location.  Christopher Columbus asked his brother to march south.  The discoverer's brother took the orden and followed the river Ozama, which was full with indian hunters, down to its end.

There, Bartolomeus Columbus found Santo Domingo in 1498. The cathedral, the admiral's mansion and a fortress are the first buildings from this period.  The town consisted of about 70 houses, made of wood.  In Santo Domingo you can still find many monuments from this early period.

Pictures: The cathedral and Columbus Park. In the pictures: Yohanny,Yomara,Yomaira,Marilyn,Angelina and Yohanca.