The Batey Relief Alliance
Major League Baseball (MLB), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and six prominent Dominican-based non-governmental organizations (NGOs) hit a homerun with an historic alliance that puts baseball to work for at-risk and out-of-school children, fragile community health providers, and poor underserved communities in the Dominican Republic (DR). The MLB-DDA members (Batey Relief Alliance Dominicana, Save the Children, Plan International, World Vision, Dominican Institute for Integrated Development and Esperanza International) have years of experience working inside DR’s poorest and most vulnerable neighborhoods and will implement sound projects that focus on preschool and basic education, health, youth development, and economic development.
The MLB-DDA was formally created on November 19, 2008 by P. Robert Fannin, the U.S. Ambassador in the Dominican Republic, Richard Goughnour, USAID/Dominican Republic Mission Director and Joe Garagiola, Jr., MLB Senior Vice President, during a signing ceremony held at the Ambassador’s Residence in Santo Domingo. Click HERE for more images. USAID is committing a one million dollar incentive fund over three years with MLB and the collaborating NGOs committing office space, time, personnel and years of grass-roots community based development experience. The MLB-DDA provides MLB players (over 400 Dominican players are signed every year) with a unique opportunity to give back to their communities and for MLB teams and their fans to support poor Dominican communities throughout the country.
The MLB-DDA has an array of projects to choose from and is willing to work with donors like you to customize projects depending on your desires regarding location and project emphasis.
MLB-DDA COMMUNITY PROJECTS
EDUCATION
These projects focus on the quality of education and infrastructures of the schools. They also include building and remodeling schools, training teachers, organizing after school and extracurricular activities, supporting schools with materials, among other activities.
HEALTH
These projects are directed towards improving health awareness and prevention, offering access to professional medical attention, and promoting a healthy environment. Projects include HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, blindness prevention, construction of aqueducts and water systems, construction of latrines, medical missions that provide short-term medical attention, malnutrition alleviation, vaccinations, trash recollection, organizing and training health promoters, community clean-up activities, among others.
YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
These projects are geared towards teaching youth important skills necessary to make good decisions and lead a successful life. Projects include youth camps and workshops that address issues such as youth rights and interfamilial violence, the construction of libraries and computer/internet centers, artistic and cultural events and workshops, youth group activities, baseball/softball league sponsorship, support for youth sports programs, among others.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
These projects intend to increase sustainable economic activity in marginalized communities to improve family economic conditions and create job opportunities. Projects include microfinance and small businesses, professional advices to small business owners and entrepreneurs, training in entrepreneurship and business concepts, support for farmers, among others.
OTHER COMMUNITY PROJECTS
The MLB-DDA also focuses on many other community projects such as disaster relief and mitigation, remodeling and constructing houses, building community centers, and supporting other community initiatives.
JOIN US
To learn more about the MLB-DDA initiative or to support of one of the MLB-DDA’s many projects, contact us at bra@bateyrelief.org. Visit us at http://www.mlb-dda.org.
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