NEW YORK, April 29, 2009. – BRA Dominicana, the field service NGO of the Batey Relief Alliance (BRA) and the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (HPER) at the Indiana University signed a letter of partnership establishing a collaboration to facilitate activities of mutual benefit that are consistent with the mission of the BRA; with the service, teaching, and research activities of HPER; and with the needs of vulnerable communities in the Dominican Republic where BRA conducts its work.

Several meetings between BRA Dominicana and HPER resulted in the mutual identification of five primary areas of collaboration: 1) technical support, 2) development of human resources, 3) strengthening of capacity, 4) academic exchanges, and 5) research projects. “HPER will also support the BRA in border health-related projects between the Dominican Republic and Haiti,” said Ulrick Gaillard, BRA’s CEO. Dr. Robert M. Goodman, Dean of the HPER added that HPER and the BRA will explore the development of joint research and program-related proposals to seek funding to support the work of the HPER-BRA partnership.

“We are reaching a new frontier to serve those in desperate need in Haiti”—Ulrick Gaillard, BRA’s CEO

ANSE-A-PITRES, Haiti. – As part of its long-term objective to develop a permanent humanitarian intervention at Haiti’s border communities, the Batey Relief Alliance (BRA) dispatched from April 12th through the 19th a team of American dentists, faculty, students and aides to provide free dental assistance to children and adults in dire need of urgent dental care in Haiti’s border Commune of Anse-a-Pitres. Click HERE to view images.

Anse-a-Pitres is located on the Southeastern tip of the island of Hispaniola across to Pedernales in the Dominican Republic. The Anse-a-Pitres’ population of about 30,000 lives in extreme poverty due to its isolation from much government as well as international economic support. Basic services are virtually absent, including potable water, electricity and healthcare living residents in a complete state of abandonment and vulnerable to diseases.

Dr. Thomas Beague, BRA’s Dental Chief and mission leader confirmed that a total of 414 patients received full treatment and more than 600 teeth were pulled. All patients received anesthesia, pain medication, and antibiotics when necessary. Children from 2-10 also received antiparasitic medicines to rid them of intestinal worms and multivitamins to boost their immune system—an effort sponsored by BRA partner, Vitamin Angel Alliance.

BRA joined forces with two local youth groups—AJPA and DJMM to organize the one-week dental clinic’s logistics. “Our initial efforts focused on a large-scale publicity campaign, which included radio interviews, posters and announcements in churches and community organizations throughout Anse-a-Pitres,” said Ulrick Gaillard, BRA’s CEO. Dr. Beague added, “Our team included four dentists (Dr. Steve Ricco, Dr. Ilha Kim, Dr. Adam Merrian and myself), four dental assistants (Sara Beague, Diana M. Beague, Thomas J. Beague and Kathy Delva) and one mission coordinator (Samuel D. Slavin) who worked tirelessly to serve as many people as we could, even though there were many more in need of treatment that did not get a chance to be seen. But we will come back next spring.”

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut. – Ulrick Gaillard, founder and CEO of the Batey Relief Alliance (BRA) will address on Saturday, April 18, 2009 an audience of academicians, public health experts, students, and international aid workers and executives at the Unite For Sight’s 6th annual Global Health Conference to be held at Yale University.

Gaillard will present about the humanitarian work of his organization in HIV/AIDS and its collaborative effort to educate, prevent and treat the disease inside the Dominican Republic’s most vulnerable sugarcane agricultural communities known as bateyes. “In partnerships with the Dominican’s Ministry of Health, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Clinton’s HIV/AIDS Initiative, the BRA delivers free services in testing, psychological support, healthcare, antiretroviral therapy, nutrition and microcredit loans to hundreds of impoverished batey residents infected and affected by the deadly virus,” said Gaillard. But he also warned that unless adequate resources are available to continue those services, many lives will be at stake and lost.

The lecture is part of the Batey Relief Alliance’s effort to promote and advocate awareness of the needs of the populations it serves, and encourage public participation in its many projects. The Batey Relief Alliance has an established humanitarian aid intervention in the Dominican Republic since 1997 and now expanding into Haiti’s border regions. The organization addresses the socio-economic and health needs of children and their families severely by poverty, disease and hunger in the Caribbean and Latin America.

For more information about this release or to schedule a lecture with Ulrick Gaillard, contact the Batey Relief Alliance at bra@bateyrelief.org.

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