MONTE PLATA, D.R. – As part of its Blindness Prevention program in the Dominican Republic, the Batey Relief Alliance (BRA) is partnering with the Student Volunteer Optometrists for Service of Humanity (SVOSH) of the New England College of Optometry to bring 22 students and faculty to deliver critical eye care and fee eye glasses to 1500 children and adults with eye problems, in need of a pair of glasses, and who are living in extreme poverty.

The seven-day mission activities, co-sponsored by the Lions Club Arroyo Hondo Santo Domingo, will take place from April March 10th through the 18th inside impoverished sugarcane plantations communities of YAMASA, province of Monte Plata. “Hundreds are expected to travel far away and beyond the bateyes take advantage of this once-in-a-life-time opportunity to check and treat their vision,” said Nicole Ross, SVOSH-NECO President.

Ross also added that patients who need follow-up or specialized care will be referred to BRA’s medical center in Monte Plata where complete optometric and ophthalmological care is provided to thousands in each year.

The SVOSH-NECO team, a long-time partner to BRA, is fully-equipped and self-sufficient, and will travel with sophisticated equipment, thousands of dollars in medicines, eye drops, eyeglasses and supplies.

ANSE-A-PITRES, Haiti. – The offices of the Batey Relief Alliance (BRA) announced yesterday the launching of a new program of collaboration with its regional partner, Population Services International, in the Southeast border region of the Republic of Haiti.

This program of health crisis promotion and prevention carries out educational activities that promote healthy habits among the Haitian population which, became victim of a powerful earthquake on January 12th that killed more than 300,000 people.

Residents of Anse-a-Pitres, Belle Anse and Jacmel receive orientation in topics such as hygiene, proper handling of water, sexual and reproductive health, and prevention of sexually-transmitted infections, accompanied by the distribution of free lubricant condoms “Panté”. The program also received the support of Academy for Educational Development (AED) with the donation of 900 hygiene kits and Americares which donated 2 million PuR tablets to purify water.

BRA is already developing several other projects in the region, including a Women’s Economic Empowerment funded by USAID, multivitamins and deworming, and health services. On January 11th 2010, BRA signed an important agreement with Haiti’s Ministry of Health handing over to the organization the full management and control of the Southeast’s only medical center located in the commune of Anse-Pitres.

Anse-a-Pitres, HAITI. – As part of its continuing disaster relief intervention in Haiti, the Batey Relief Alliance (BRA) is dispatching on March 27th a team of 20 dental and medical specialists from the United States to far-reached earthquake-affected border commune of Anse-a-Pitres to deliver much needed dental and medical care to children and their families living in impoverished conditions.

The week-long intervention is designed for American and Haitian volunteers to travel to Haiti’s inaccessible communities to evaluate and treat general health and dental conditions of people who are completely isolated from medical services and international aid.

Since the 7.0-magnitude powerful earthquake hard hit Haiti on January 12th, killing more than 250,000, BRA responded swiftly by sponsoring medical mission trips and coordinating the donations of millions of dollars-worth of medicine and medical supplies. More missions are scheduled to deliver more urgent medical services and antibiotics, as well as eye care and prescription eye glasses to Haitians living in Haiti’s Southeast Department border region and those who have crossed the border into the Dominican Republic seeking emergency medical assistance. Click HERE to view images.

Please help the Batey Relief Alliance continue to help the people of Haiti. Donate alternatively by clicking HERE or mailing in your tax-deductible checks payable to Batey Relief Alliance, P.O. Box 300565, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11230.