Born in Puerto Plata and residing in the community of Los Ciruelos in Villa Montellano, Scarlet Dileni Ciriaco Mercado is a dedicated and passionate advocate for her community’s well-being. Her academic journey has been driven by her commitment to making a meaningful impact, focusing on areas such as customer service, teamwork, humanization of health services, pharmacy assistance, community leadership, basic office operations, and nursing internships at health centers, among others.
Scarlet’s professional experience spans both private and public sectors, including work in non-governmental organizations. Her career began humbly as a gas station attendant, but her desire to engage in community-focused work soon led her to more impactful roles. With her growing expertise, Scarlet became a liaison for the state program “Progresando con Solidaridad” (PROSOLI), which aims to eliminate poverty by channeling government social assistance. Her leadership and organizational skills were quickly recognized, and she was promoted to supervisor, where she identified community needs and facilitated training programs through the National Institute for Technical Professional Training (INFOTEP). She also focused on improving health outcomes for children through monitoring and follow-up.
Scarlet’s deep commitment to the well-being of her community expanded further when she joined Health Horizons International as a health promoter. Currently, she serves as the coordinator for the community development program, where her role extends beyond healthcare. She skillfully connects with local authorities, faith-based organizations, grassroots movements, and civil society groups to implement a range of initiatives that benefit the broader community.
Her work has had a profound impact across the province, fostering relationships with social welfare organizations and the Provincial Health Directorate. She has led decontamination campaigns, distributed cleaning kits, and organized immunization efforts. Additionally, Scarlet has spearheaded food sovereignty initiatives through the creation of community and school urban gardens. Her efforts extend to organizing vaccination campaigns and comprehensive health days under the “Women’s Movement” program, providing essential services in general medicine, pediatrics, vision care, and dental health. Scarlet also facilitates the formation of community circles and support groups for individuals at risk of contracting non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs).
Scarlet takes great pride in her work, which allows her to apply and expand her knowledge while improving the quality of life not only in her own municipality but throughout the entire province. Her efforts continue to create lasting change, promoting health, education, and social welfare for all.