Ulrick Gaillard, BRA’s CEO said, “PVO registration will enable BRA to become eligible for federal financial assistance within the USAID funding circle.” BRA sought registration early this year as an effort to broaden support for its humanitarian services to those that are severely affected by poverty, disease and hunger in the Caribbean.

USAID awarded BRA in 2007 two years of Food for Peace’s International Food Relief Program (IFRP) grant totaling $545,600.00 to distribute food to more than 10,000 people, including those living with HIV/AIDs, vulnerable/orphaned children, pregnant women and the elderly in the bateyes, urban slums, and rural communities of the Dominican Republic. BRA is now expanding its humanitarian health work at Haiti’s border with the Dominican Republic targeting Southeastern communities of Anse-a-Pitres and Pedernales.

For more information about BRA’s work or how to support, please visit BRA’s website at www.bateyrelief.org or contact bra@bateyrelief.org.

HIV/AIDS was high on the list as the two countries combined account for more than 75% of HIV/AIDS cases in the Caribbean region and second highest to sub-Saharan Africa. “Although both Haiti and the Dominican Republic have made tremendous effort to address and reduce rates of infection, but the threat of the disease is still great among vulnerable people and communities,” said Ulrick Gaillard, CEO of the Batey Relief Alliance.

The Ministry of Health of Haiti, the Dominican Presidential Council on HIV/AIDS—COPRESIDA, the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and others, all, have pledged their support to the Batey Relief Alliance’s proposed healthcare and HIV/AIDS expansion into poverty-stricken, neglected and isolated border communities of Anse-a-Pitres and Pedernales.

The two recipients of the grants, the Batey Relief Alliance’s field organization, BRA DOMINICANA and the Movement of Dominican-Haitian Women—MUHDA, will collaborate to distribute clean and potable water to thousands of residents living in four batey communities: Palmarejo, El Bosque, Cojobal and La Pista de Juan Sanchez.

These bateyes are located in the province of Monte Plata and are deprived of the most basics for their residents. “Hundreds of community health promoters will also be organized to educate local residents about their right to access to healthcare, nutrition, and education” said Maria Virtudes Berroa, Executive Director of BRA Dominicana.

“There is no reason why people have to resort to drinking contaminated waters to harm their health. We want to benefit the majority of residents with these water systems to enhance the quality of their lives,” said Cynthia White, SDOP coordinator.

The new water project is an extension of the Batey Relief Alliance’s current clean water campaign distributing Biosand water filters to hundreds of batey residents, in collaboration with the Rotary Club of New York, the Rotary Club Mirador and Rotary Club Arroyo Hondo Santo Domingo.

To learn more about or support this new water initiative that will save lives in the bateyes, contact SDOP at www.pcusa.org/sdop, or 1-888-728-7228 extension 5790. You may also reach the Batey Relief Alliance at www.bateyrelief.org, (917) 627-5026, or bra@bateyrelief.org.

The Batey Relief Alliance created in 2003 its field organization, BRA DOMINICANA, to help carry out its humanitarian mission inside vulnerable communities of the Dominican Republic, including the bateyes where thousands of children and their families are severely affected by poverty, disease and hunger. “Mr. Puente is a man of great character, discipline, and dedication,” said Ulrick Gaillard, Founder of the BRA Dominicana.

BRA Dominicana operates two modern medical families and implements more than a dozen health projects inside the bateyes in the province of Monte Plata. Its main headquarters are located in the Sector Piantini of the country’s capital, Santo Domingo. The entire field operation is run by a seven-member board of directors, a Chief Executive, an Executive Director, and more than 70 field workers, community health promoters, and foreign volunteers.

Other members of the board include Ramon Colombo, Vice-President, Nexcy D’ Leon, Secretary, Edilgardo Peña, Treasurer, Ramon Manuel Garcia, Trustee, Dr. Raymond Thertulien, Trustee, and Ulrick Gaillard, Trustee.

This program, under the USAID’s Food for Peace-International Food Relief Program, responds to the steps already taken by the Dominican government to address the current food crisis and reduce malnutrition among vulnerable people. It is estimated that 54 to 76 thousand children of five years—between 7.2 and 8.9% of the Dominican population, suffers from chronic malnutrition. 27% of the total population (more than 2 million of the 8.9 million) is undernourished.

Through this program, 4 million food rations will be distributed to more than 5,000 children and adults severely affected by poverty, disease and hunger in the bateyes, urban barrios and other impoverished rural and border communities. The program, for which USAID donated $272,800 through the generous support of the American people, benefits those in critical needs, including people living with HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis, pregnant women, vulnerable/orphaned children, and the elderly. “It is a simple equation–you can not talk about providing quality healthcare to the poor without ensuring that they also have food in their stomachs,” said Ulrick Gaillard, CEO of the Batey Relief Alliance.

Batey Relief Alliance’s field organization, BRA DOMINICANA, implements the project with governmental and non-governmental strategic partners, including the Dominican’s Presidential Council on HIV/AIDS (COPRESIDA), General Directive for the Control of Infections and Sexual Transmissions and AIDS (DIGECITTS) and Ministry of Health (SESPAS), Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative, Social Services of Dominican Churches, and others. Those partners along with hundreds of community health promoters will educate about health and proper nutrition and help distribute food in various provinces, including Santo Domingo, Monte Plata, Hato Mayor, Pedernales, La Romana, Monte Cristi, etc.

The food aid program complements two other important BRA’s projects: the Children’s Health Campaign distributing multivitamins and antiparasitic medicines to 55,000 children and the HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment of patients receiving potent medicines to fight opportunistic infections and antiretroviral therapy. “Food is a vital element that, when it is combined with good healthcare, can transform people and communities,” added Gaillard.

For more information about this release or how you can contribute to the Batey Relief Alliance’s projects, please contact Ulrick Gaillard at bra@bateyrelief.org or (917) 627-5026. Visit us at www.bateyrelief.org.

BRA and the country’s Ministry of Health, along with the program’s main supporter—Vitamin Angels, began the Dominican Campaign in February 2007 to reach 55,000 children in 236 bateyes, urban barrios, rural communities and border towns. The program, originally designed to reach children 2-10 years old, began with a daily multiple vitamin supplement and twice-a-year antiparasitic medicines. BRA’s CEO, Ulrick Gaillard noted, “The program has been a tremendous success. With the help of the Ministry of Health and the Vitamin Angels, we have been able to address and reduce chronic malnutrition in the children most at risk.” He went on to say, “We have asked Vitamin Angels to expand this program and are pleased to announce that we have received their assurance that the program will be significantly expanded in 2008.”

Vitamin Angels arrived in Santo Domingo on Saturday, May 17th to evaluate the results of the current program. Along with program sponsor, United Natural Foods Incorporated (UNFI) and supporters, Dr. Alan and Cheryl Green, the team has been meeting with BRA officials and visiting distribution sites in the bateyes in the province of Monte Plata. Vitamin Angels’ President, Howard B. Schiffer, noted, “We are pleased with the progress of the Dominican Campaign. The Ministry of Health has been tremendously supportive, and BRA has done an excellent job of enlisting a host of NGOs to help in this effort to reach the poorest of the poor.”

Gaillard and Schiffer agreed to expand the program into border communities between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. “The need is tremendous there,” noted Gaillard. He added, “We now have the support of Vitamin Angels to expand our efforts to reach the most vulnerable 1-5 year old children. Our intention is to add a minimum of 20,000 children with a Vitamin A and deworming campaign while also initiating our first campaign for pregnant women.” Schiffer added, “Vitamin Angels is always focused on reaching the children most in need and these communities definitely qualify. By starting to reach pregnant women with prenatal vitamins, we will be able to insure that these babies begin life on a healthy footing.”

Vitamin A programs have been shown to increase a child’s chances of survival by 23% while lowering clinic visits by 27% and hospital visits by 38%. Last year, Vitamin Angels reached over 7 million children, women and babies in need in over 40 countries around the world. For more information about Vitamin Angels and their initiatives including Operation 20/20, go to; http://www.VitaminAngels.org.

The organization’s cash and in-kind donations are all U.S-based and come from the Batey Relief Alliance’s board of directors, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative, Disciples of Christ’s Week of Compassion, Saint Joseph Foundation, International Foundation, New York Rotary Foundation, New Jersey Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center, Riverside Church of New York City, Penny Harvest Comment Cents, Presbyterian Church USA-Hunger Prevention Program, Union Hill Presbyterian Church, SVOSH University of Alabama, SVOSH New England College of Optometry, Vitamin Angel Alliance, Catholic Medical Mission Board, Direct Relief International, and individual contributors.

The Batey Relief Alliance delivered direct social and complete health/eye care and free medicines to 19,132 vulnerable people living inside the bateyes (vulnerable sugar cane plantations communities) in the province of Monte Plata. 55,000 children is now receiving multivitamins and antiparasitic medicines while another 80,000 adults and children received improved medical care and medicines through BRA’s medical donations to 26 grassroots and governmental organizations working in various urban barrios, border localities and rural slums around the country. And those who are living with HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis received free testing, education, antiretroviral treatment, nutrition and Biosand water filters.

For a copy of the Batey Relief Alliance’s 2007 complete financial audit or/and annual work report, please contact us at bra@bateyrelief.org or www.bateyrelief.org.

Gaillard, a trained attorney, presented about the ten-year work history of the Batey Relief Alliance in the Dominican Republic, the implications on the organization’s humanitarian intervention of the politically-charged issue of the illegalization of thousands of undocumented Haitian immigrant sugarcane workers and their undocumented Dominican-born children in the bateyes, and the Batey Relief Alliance’s plan to expand its mission in the neighboring Republic of Haiti.

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.

Founded in 1997, the Batey Relief Alliance is a United States-based 501c3, non-profit, non-political, humanitarian aid organization addressing the socio-economic and health needs of children and their families severely by poverty, disease and hunger in the Caribbean.

For more information about this release or to schedule a lecture with Ulrick Gaillard, contact the Batey Relief Alliance at bra@bateyrelief.org or (917) 627-5026. Visit www.bateyrelief.org.

Minister Auguste and his five-member delegation started the visit with a trip to the Batey Relief Alliance’s health installations in the province of Monte Plata—Northeastern Santo Domingo. “I am very impressed by the intervention of the organization,” said Minister Auguste.

The Minister and members of the Batey Relief Alliance traveled to Anse-a-Pitres to evaluate the health situation of the population and conditions of the two government-owned medical clinics. The Minister expressed concerns over the lack of access to quality health services to the population and his willingness to transfer the complete management of the clinics to the Batey Relief Alliance—with a track record of delivering annually healthcare and medicines to 17,000 Haitians and Dominicans living inside the bateyes of the Dominican Republic.

A meeting is scheduled for June 27th in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince to sign an agreement between Haiti’s Ministry of Health and the Batey Relief Alliance. “We are ready to intervene swiftly in Anse-a-Pitres in preventive health projects and management in the areas of primary care and surgeries, dentistry, HIV/AIDS, blindness, water/sanitation, nutrition, and community health promotion and education,” added Ulrick Gaillard, CEO of the Batey Relief Alliance.

The purpose for the trip is to provide the officials with a close-up view of the successful humanitarian health intervention of the Batey Relief Alliance in the Dominican Republic, meet with the organization’s strategic partners, and continue the negotiation with the Haitian government to establish a permanent mission in Haiti by year 2009. “We are glad that the government has demonstrated such enthusiasm and interest in our proposed plan for Haiti,” said Ulrick Gaillard, CEO of the Batey Relief Alliance.

While in the Dominican Republic, the health officials will travel to the province of Monte Plata where the Batey Relief Alliance operates two modern healthcare facilities inside the bateyes and implements preventive health projects in HIV/AIDS, water/sanitation, blindness, nutrition, primary care and education. “A trip is also planned to Haiti’s border town of Anse-a-Pitres (with Pedernales) where basic medical services are seriously lacking,” added Gaillard.

Gaillard and senior board members of the Batey Relief Alliance have already taken several trips to Haiti meeting with various top Legislators and Ministers, and recently, the country’s Prime Minister, Jacques Edouard Alexis. “We are indeed one step closer to forming a bona fide partnership with the Haitian government for the betterment of those who are poor, hungry, sick and needy,” concluded Gaillard.