Peralta, Dominican Republic

Peralta is a village at about 5,000-7,000 feet on the mountains in the province of Azua in the Dominican Republic.

It is about a 40-50 minute trip up and down the mountain to the city of Azua de Compostela. There are about 14,210 people who live in the village. The village is primarily focused on agriculture, livestock, and fruits. Electricity is available for all inhabitants in Peralta. However, it does go out from time to time. Blackouts can range from an hour to the whole day.

There are two rivers in the village, many of the villagers bathe in the river because they do not have access to running water. There are a total of four major "barrios": Los Jobos, El Higüero, El Mercado, Camboya. People tend to blast music out of their stereo usually meregue, bachata, or reggaeton. Reggaeton tends to be the favorite among the youth.

Peralta works with Plan International- an organization that works worldwide to achieve lasting improvements for children living in poverty in developing countries. Peralta has also hosted volunteers in 2003 and 2006 from "Amigos de las Américas", a nonprofit organization based in Houston, Texas dedicated to creating opportunities for young people to excel in leadership roles promoting public health, education, and community development throughout the Americas.