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.

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.

BRA also coordinated with strategic partners such as Direct Relief International, Catholic Medical Mission Board/Brystol Meyers, and Americares/National Cancer Coalition to deliver millions of dollars worth of medicines, medical supplies and water purification PUR tablets into Haiti. BRA’s sponsored relief activities were made possible by the generous support of donors like you and partnerships of Student Volunteer Optometrists for Service of Humanity-New England College of Optometry (SVOSH-NECO), Association of Haitian Physicians Abroad (AMHE), IDDI and Red Jacques Viau.

Haiti’s recovery and rebuilding may take a long time and will require long-term strategies and collaborative efforts. On January 11th 2010, Haiti’s Ministry of Health entered into an agreement with BRA, whereby BRA assumed full control, operation and management duties over the government’s medical facility located in the Southeast Department’s commune of Anse-a-Pitres. BRA is now working closely with the Haitian and US governments to respond to widespread health needs of 200,000 people living in the Southeastern border region, by developing water/sanitations and health, delivering urgent supplies as well as repairing basic services.

In order to proceed with our next phase of long-term recovery/rebuilding of Haiti, BRA will need your continued support. We ask that you give alternatively. Please give to Batey Relief Alliance by clicking HERE or mailing in your tax-deductible checks payable to Batey Relief Alliance, P.O. Box 300565, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11230.

One day before the earthquake, Gaillard signed in Port-au-Prince an important partnership agreement with Dr. Larsen handing over full control of the Southeast’s only Medical Center to BRA to operate and manage. “Once fully renovated and equipped, the facility, located in Anse-a-Pitres, will have the capacity to deliver complete health services and medicines to 200,000 people from other surrounding communes, including Grand Gosier, Belle Anse and Thiotte,” said Gaillard. He added that BRA’s long-term plan will include water and sanitations and education to prevent diseases.

Since the earthquake, thousands of desperate Haitians travelled to the border into Anse-a-Pitres, seeking the most basic necessities to survive. We fear that the population growth in this tiny community, already overpopulated and plagued by extreme poverty, will result in an increased and desperate need for food, medicines and medical care—a demand that BRA is willing to meet collaboratively with Haiti’s Ministry of Health.

Donate alternatively.
Donate to Batey Relief Alliance.
Click: www.bateyrelief.org

Help for Haiti
BRA’s CEO, Ulrick Gaillard said that his organization’s short-term objective is to relieve immediate sufferings in the surrounding Port-au-Prince and SouthEast Department areas, including Jacmel. Their long-term plan, however, is to repair basic services, deliver sustainable healthcare and clean water, and provide training and economic opportunities to women.

BRA’s existing capacity in the region includes two fully functional medical centers in Southeast border of Haiti and in neighboring Dominican Republic’s batey, trained emergency response staff (medical, water, nutrition), availability of emergency supplies and food, agriculture staff for replanting and recovery efforts, water/sanitation experience, including well projects for border and batey populations, and duty free privileges with government for humanitarian deliveries into Haiti. “Our immediate focus is to work with the Haitian Diaspora and our strategic partners to channel support to where it is most needed and deliver emergency supplies,” added Gaillard.

But Gaillard cautioned that individual donations of in-kind goods to ship into Haiti, while they are important, are not the best approach at this time with almost all Haiti’s airports, ports and government offices shut down. BRA will use its DR headquarters to receive and purchase goods and transport them into Haiti by crossing the border.

Help Haiti. Donate alternatively. DONATE to Batey Relief Alliance.
BRA’s immediate need is to raise the most funds as possible. The organization encourages everyone from any part of the globe to visit its website at www.bateyrelief.org, click on DONATE NOW, and make a gift. For those who wish to mail in their checks, to make them payable to Batey Relief Alliance, P.O. Box 300565, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11230.

BRA’s CEO narrowly escaped tragedy
Gaillard traveled the week before the earthquake to Haiti for a post award meeting with USAID and to sign an agreement with Haiti’s Ministry of Health to operate a medical center at the border region (click HERE). “I left Port-au-Prince just one day before the earthquake. Had I posted my return, I would have probably not made it. But my heart breaks tremendously for the thousands who perished,” concluded Gaillard.

Contact BRA at bra@bateyrelief.org or (917) 627-5026.

The situation:
HAITI was hard hit by a 7.0 earthquake, 10 miles from the capital, Port-au-Prince where close to half of its 9-million population lives. In the capital, it is reported that thousands of buildings and shacks have been destroyed; bodies laid on the streets; and panic all over the place. For more details click HERE.

Batey Relief Alliance’s reponse:
• Relieve immediate suffering (delivering food, medical care, clean water, and emergency supplies)
• Repair basic services to levels that are better than they were before
• Provide economic support to women

Immediate Need:
• Funds to purchase goods, shipment and distribution

HELP HAITI: DONATE

The USDA-funded Cooperative Agricultural Program aims at creating food security and economic development for impoverished batey communities in the province of Monte Plata, by putting 7,700 unemployed farmers to work 1,500 acres of fertile land to produce food for 32,000 people. It is expected that surplus crops will be sold to local communities by the cooperative – an effort to foster long-term sustainable re-investment into the program.

The USAID-funded Women’s Empowerment Program, under its new Development Grants Program, will allow BRA to partner with key local partner groups such as FONKOZE, Partners In Health and Esperanza International, to establish 30 women’s organizations, provide training to 600 hundred women, of which, 300 to receive microcredit loans to start or maintain small businesses. Additionally, BRA signed an agreement with Haiti’s Ministry of Health on January 11, 2010 to operate a medical center in the border region’s commune of Anse-a-Pitres. Click HERE for more details. The program targets Haiti’s SouthEast department, Capital of Jacmel, District of Belle Anse, covering the communes of Belle Anse, Grand Gosier, Thiotte and Anse-a-Pitres.

“In light of the current global economic crisis affecting millions around the world, especially in poor countries like Haiti and the Dominican Republic, BRA’s programs are timely as they will provide thousands with economic tools to meet their current economic hardships, and to better themselves and their communities,” said Ulrick Gaillard, BRA’s CEO.

“BRA will implement various important projects in the Dominican Republic, including a new Agricultural Development, HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment, Blindness Prevention, Preventive Healthcare and Education, Nutrition and Micronutrients, Water and Sanitation, Child Healthcare, and Disaster Relief” said Ulrick Gaillard, BRA’s CEO. In Haiti, BRA will carry out other programs in Water and Sanitation, Child Healthcare, Micronutrients and Women’s Economic Empowerment. Gaillard added that the organization will also dedicate effort to educate the New York City immigrant population about HIV/AIDS and prevention techniques.

BRA’s work will address the socio-economic and health needs of children and their families severely affected by extreme poverty, disease and hunger inside the Dominican’s vulnerable bateyes, rural communities and urban slums; Haiti’s border regions; and New York’s inner city barrios. More than 25,000 people are expected to receive direct health-related services from BRA’s clinics while another 80,000 will benefit from its indirect intervention through partnerships with 15 local groups receiving support in donated medical goods, supplies and equipment; 35,000 more will enjoy food security and economic self-sufficiency while 60,000 children are expected to receive multivitamins, nutrition and antiparasitic medicines.

BRA’s strategic partners for 2010 will include the United States Department of Agriculture, United States Agency for International Development, Clinton Foundation’s HIV/AIDS Initiative, New York State Department of Health, Engineers without Borders, Dominican’s Ministry of Health, Department of Agriculture and State Sugar Council, Presbyterian Church-USA, Partners In Health, FONKOZE, Esperanza International, Major League Baseball-Dominican Development Alliance, Direct Relief International, Catholic Medical Mission Board, National Cancer Coalition, Vitamin Angel Alliance, Nordic Naturals, United Natural Food Inc., IDA Foundation, and University of Indiana. More than 75 volunteers are expected to be recruited to share their expertise in the areas of healthcare, education, fundraising and media outreach.

The project will be implemented by Batey Relief Alliance’s Dominican-based field organization BRA Dominicana, in partnerships with various key government entities, including the State Sugar Council, Dominican Agrarian Institute, Monte Plata Office of Senatorial Management and the Department of Agriculture.

“The two-year project will have the capacity to create food security and economic self-sufficiency for 35,000 people living in extreme poverty inside seven batey communities in the province of Monte Plata,” said Ulrick Gaillard, BRA’s CEO. Gaillard also added that more than 7,000 unemployed farmers will be put to work 3,000 acres of fertile land and develop their community infrastructures for long-term agricultural and economic development and growth.

As part of other project benchmarks, BRA will establish an Agricultural Cooperative to teach the participating farmers how to manage and sell more profitable crops, create sustainable business plans, and apply for loans and credits and reach more consumers. “In light of the current global economic crisis affecting millions around the world, especially in poor countries, the USDA grant is timely as it responds directly to the dire economic conditions facing thousands languishing in these vulnerable agricultural batey regions,” concluded Gaillard.

USDA’s Food for Progress Program provides U.S. agricultural commodities to developing countries and emerging democracies committed to introducing and expanding free enterprise in the agricultural sector. Commodities are provided on a donation basis to foreign governments, private voluntary organizations, non-profit organizations, cooperatives or intergovernmental organizations. Projects are chosen based on their agricultural focus, the country’s needs, proposal’s quality and organization’s management, experience and financial and technical capabilities.

This year is my first message to you, asking on this important occasion to join members of our Boards of Directors, our staff, our partners, and me to celebrate the twelfth-year anniversary of our organization, The Batey Relief Alliance, created on October 23, 1997.

THE BATEY RELIEF ALLIANCE (BRA) was founded in the state of New York, United States of America, as a tax-exempt, non-profit, non-political, humanitarian aid organization addressing the socio-economic and health needs of children and their families severely affected by extreme poverty, disease and hunger in the United States and the Caribbean, principally in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. BRA’s mission serves all regardless of race, sex, creed, religion, national origin, socio-economic status or political affiliations.

This year, I would like to share with you two new beginnings for the BRA that we all should be proud of: expanding our services from comprehensive healthcare to agricultural development inside the bateyes and expanding our intervention from the bateyes to the border regions of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Starting 2010, BRA will develop an agricultural cooperative where more than 7,000 unemployed farmers will be put to work 3,000 acres of fertile land in various batey communities to create food security and economic self-sufficiency for 35,000 people. This ambitious project is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture.

In border communities of Anse-à-Pitres, Haiti and Pedernales, Dominican Republic where, as in the bateyes, the populations are isolated from most state support and live in extreme poverty, BRA has planted the seeds for a long-term bi-national healthcare and economic development intervention. We have mobilized new and current partners, including USAID, Vitamins Angels, Direct Relief International, United Natural Foods Inc., and Rotary International to expand our micronutrient/deworming and nutrition programs, build a new water purification center, and organize free dental and medical mission trips. We have also submitted proposals to develop a Women’s Economic Empowerment Program providing microcredit loans and training and improving financial stability for 600 women in Haiti. And soon, we hope to sign a partnership agreement with Haiti’s Ministry of Health to deliver improved and sustainable health services inside Anse-a-Pitres.

Expanding our mission from the bateyes to the border regions is a strategic necessity that implicates a new form of thinking and bona fide binational partnerships in order to address the dire need of people who are so different culturally and yet interconnected at a poverty level. This is just the first step toward bringing to the border the same socio-economic and health services that we already deliver inside in the bateyes. And our new agricultural program will provide the batey population with new economic tools they desperately need to better manage their lives in light of the current economic crisis affecting billions around the world.

As we take on these new endeavors, however, more funding will be needed. The generous support of donors like you has allowed us to strengthen our base even as we expand our horizons. Your continued support is essential to our continued success.

Happy Birthday Batey Relief Alliance!

Respectfully

Ulrick Gaillard, J.D.
Founder/CEO