*The word Batey traditionally signifies a neighborhood comprised of Haitian sugar workers in the Dominican Republic. Now it is often used in the DR to refer to any rural Haitian slum.
Haitians experience the worst poverty in the Western Hemisphere. And the Batey I visited, on the outskirts of the village of Munoz, is no exception. There is little access to medical care, most of the inhabitants have no work, clean water is scarce, and hundreds of people are forced to share a handful of toilets. The dwellings are shacks, and the narrow alleyways run with open sewage.
Through the kind and generous people at SunCampDR, I was fortunate enough to visit the Batey and was allowed to photograph at will. While I was met with some questioning stares, for the most part I was greeted with warm smiles and treated as a guest. I can’t say enough about the people. Their dignity, beauty, and grace under the worst conditions truly inspired me.
Knowing that this place exists a quick three hour flight from New York City, I’m determined to do what I can to help the people of the Batey. More details to come soon.
September 14, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Great pics. Seeing these people smiling in these conditions makes me laugh at us privileged Americans as we fight over things like healthcare. They may live in poverty, yet I’m sure they have a much better take on life than most of us Americans.
October 20, 2009 at 4:29 pm
I just took 9 VT students to Batey Munoz to teach basic geography in their grassroots school. We were so touched by the children and the poverty that we have committed to help improve their situation. The head teacher asked us if we could help in the purchase of a nearby building that we could turn into an internet center. They can charge outsiders to use the internet services which would be a source of income to the community and the students could use it for educational purposes since they lack books and supplies. We also have some construction and microfinance ideas. If you are interested in helping, please let me know. Our goal is to go back March 6-13, 2010 for a service week.