In a country surrounded by coasts, Fundación Vida Azul has become a driving force for the protection of marine ecosystems. Its environmental impact in the Dominican Republic has made it deserving of international recognition
By: Flor Monestel
“No one can do everything, but everyone can do something”. This is the motto that guides Fundación Vida Azul, a non-profit organization dedicated since 2007 to the conservation of coastal and marine ecosystems through initiatives focused on education, volunteering, and social responsibility in the Dominican Republic, raising environmental awareness among the population.
What would you do if a tourist described your country as a place with dirty beaches, dead corals, and no marine life? This is the question posed by Óscar Oviedo, president of Vida Azul, when explaining how the NGO was born. The story began with a comment from an American tourist online, who, in addition to the previous descriptions, said that the Dominican Republic was the last place to go diving. Tourism is one of the main economic activities, representing approximately 19% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), contributing around US$22 billion and having a direct impact on more than 800,000 jobs.
Instead of upsetting people, that post parked a shift in mindset and inspired action focused on ocean preservation to restore the country’s coastal and marine areas. Eighteen years after its founding, Vida Azul has reached more than 300,000 Dominicans through educational programs that promote water conservation, environmental care, and good waste management practices. The foundation also leads the International Coastal Cleanup Day in the Dominican Republic, bringing together more than 500,000 volunteers since 2007 and collecting over 2 million pounds of trash through its cleanup efforts.
Currently, the Dominican Republic conserves 30.8% of its land and marine areas, ranking first in the Caribbean region and sixth in Latin America. This figure reinforces the Foundation’s commitment to inspiring society as a whole to ocean conservancy and working toward greater ecosystem preservation.
“These years have taught us that coastal and marine ecosystems have a tangible reality, which is their conservation. That’s why, through our pillars of education, volunteering and social responsibility, we aim to transform how people and companies view the importance of the oceans in maintaining environmental balance. Our call is to the government, national authorities, organizations, decision-makers and society in general to join efforts and generate positive impact”, adds Oviedo.
National and international ocean protection movement
At the local level, the NGO began with 18 coastal sites that served to build knowledge and educate communities about the importance of the oceans, eventually involving up to 2,500 participants in its first years of operation. Today, it has a presence in 140 locations, and participation grows every year as more people show interest in the cleanup events. For example, in 2014, the initiative reached 35,000 people. In terms of volunteer numbers, only Canada, the United States, and the Philippines surpass the Dominican Republic.
In September of this year, they launched the initiative “Menos es más”, which aims to reduce the use of plastic bags in supermarkets, driven mainly by the environmental education they promote in the country. “We raise our voice by saying that we don’t just clean beaches, we clean minds. And we say this because we have witnessed the change in people after participating in cleanup events; their actions toward sustainability extend to their homes and communities,” adds Oviedo.
This inspiration has led some volunteers to start their own recycling-focused projects. One of them is Cuadernos por un Mañana, which aims to recycle notebooks and give them a second use by providing them to children who need them.
In 2022, they started working with schools along the coasts through their environmental programs, involving young people in trash collection, since there is no better way to learn than by being part of the solution.
Since 2007, the Foundation has been registered as a non-profit organization. Thanks to its solid work structure, transparency, governance, financial management, and legal compliance, it has earned credibility both inside and outside the country. This recognition led to its partnership with Ocean Conservancy, an international NGO focused on ocean preservation. In 2023, the Foundation took part in the global #TeamSeas campaign, led by YouTubers MrBeast (449M followers) and Mark Rober (71M followers). The goal was to remove 30 million kilograms of trash from the oceans, and the campaign successfully collected 33 million.
In the Dominican Republic, Ocean Conservancy chose the country to kick off the campaign with Fundación Vida Azul leading the local coordination. They gathered 2,500 people at Gringo Beach in Bajos de Haina, one of the most polluted beaches in the world due to industrial waste, and at Fuerte San Gil in Santo Domingo. Over four days, more than 70,000 kilograms of trash were collected and all the material was properly disposed of.
Their work has been recognized with several awards, including the Brugal Cree en su Gente Award, Man and Woman of the Year (Diario Libre newspaper), and the Ford Environmental Conservation Awards.
How to help?
Fundación Vida Azul does not receive permanent donations and does not have staff working full-time, so they carry out fundraising activities. However, they believe change is possible thanks to the solidarity and commitment of people and companies who share the intent to conserve the oceans and environmental consciousness.
For more information, you can visit their website https://www.vidaazul.org/, follow them on Instagram and Facebook, or write to info@vidaazul.org.
