Our Mission
Working Towards a Better Tomorrow
Latinas & Líderes is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that aims to inspire and empower
girls from marginalized communities in the Dominican Republic to become leaders in their own lives, their families and communities. Our 40 girls come from three under-resourced communities in Santo Domingo-El Mamey in Villa Mella, Guaricano, and Gualey. Our organization was founded and is led by a mother-daughter team from the Bronx, NYC.
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Latinas & Líderes is dedicated to empowering girls in the Dominican Republic by addressing the critical challenges they face, including adolescent pregnancy, school dropout, sexual violence, exploitation, and femicide. Rooted in our personal connection to the island, we strive to create opportunities, provide support, and inspire change so that every girl can realize her potential and live a safe, empowered life.
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MOTHER-DAUGHTER DUO
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L&L was proudly founded and is led by Betty and Sofia Lugo-a mother-daughter team.
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Betty and Sofia live in New York City and love working together to carry out the mission of the organization. They founded L&L in 2019 when Betty was a school improvement coach for NYC Public Schools and Sofia was an undergraduate student at SUNY New Paltz majoring in Communication Disorders. Betty has since retired from NYCPS after 32 years of service, and Sofia is now working as a speech pathologist in a school in the Bronx.
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One of the things Betty loves most about her work with L&L is working closely with Sofia—her homie—and giving back to her motherland. Sofia loves being purpose-driven at such an early age, seeing the impact of their work in the communities they serve, and leading this mission alongside her mother. Working for L&L has brought them even closer. They truly enjoy working with the girls in the program and helping many people across the broader Dominican Republic.
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