The Marvel of Cutupú
The achievements of two Canadian women in the Dominican Republic

An inspired collaboration between two Canadian women and the women of a small village in the Dominican Republic is lifting the spirits and voices of many farmers’ wives.
Joan Tinkess is Ottawa-born and a former teacher at Manor Park Separate School. She and Mary Tiner (from Toronto) are former nuns who came to the Dominican Republic to serve the local people and the church. They left their order in 1971, but by that time they had developed a deep affection for Dominicans, especially those living and toiling in the countryside. Their imaginations were also ignited by the daily challenges faced by women in these rural settings. Following their hearts, Joan and Mary decided to remain, and did so (with breaks in Canada) for another 48 years.
The challenge that fundamentally pricked their interest was the level of poverty. The Dominican women felt keenly their inability to pay for the health and education needs of their families and for basic improvements to their homes. The rural culture narrowed their lives. Traditionally, decision-making and financial issues were the domain of men. It was time for openness to the women’s perspective.
In Cutupú, with the remarkably courageous and determined women of that village, Joan and Mary designed a microfinance savings and credit association in 1972.
As can be imagined, taking on the macho culture deep in the countryside was a formidable undertaking. Through often discouraging times of trial and error, Joan and Mary found that courage, determination, and diplomacy won many battles.
The challenges were enormous for women who had no wish to provoke their husbands, most of whom were handicapped by illiteracy. Joan and Mary’s Cutupú savings and credit association project was designed to be easy to understand and simple to manage. From the outset, the savings came mostly in small change–not paper bills. No collateral was required. The interest was set at one per cent. Initially, the treasurer took the money home in a padlocked box and the president took the key. The box was opened at weekly meetings with members present.
When the box began to overflow, Joan and Mary opened accounts at a regular bank.
To general astonishment, the Cutupú scheme worked. The savings and credit associations multiplied and the network rose to 25. The associations focused on specific goals: the welfare of families, the advancement of children, and home improvement. Cement floors and zinc roofs are one of the many visible benefits in the Cutupú Parish.
After many years, age and problems of physical mobility forced both women into reluctant retirement. There were tearful farewells but satisfaction with a program that is changing the lives of many rural families. Today, many rural children are entering university.
But what happens next? The genius of the program – its simplicity and immense social benefits – strongly suggest that it should be replicated widely. With luck, discipline, and good planning, there is hope that the benefits can be extended to rural women throughout the Dominican Republic.
A savings bank system much like Joan and Mary’s was opened in Bangladesh in 1983 and widely copied. Called the Grameen Bank, its founder, Muhammad Yunus, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for “efforts to create economic and social development from below.”
It may be worth noting that Joan and Mary’s Cutupú initiative preceded that in Bangladesh by 11 years.
(John Graham first met Joan Tinkess 62 years ago when posted to the Canadian Embassy in the Dominican Republic.)