Batey Hope

On the island of Hispaniola lies the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The Dominican Republic has a very large sugarcane industry, which supplies sugar for the United States and Europe. In order to maintain this industry, they need workers who will endure long hours for little pay. Over the border there are people looking for any way out of the intense poverty that exists in Haiti. Thousands of Haitians cross the border every year to work in the "bateyes," or sugarcane fields. The bitter truth is that their new lives will not be much better than those they lived in Haiti.

Haitian workers work 12-14 hours per day, and they only make, at best, an average of $3-$5 each day, paid in coupons rather than cash. The diet in the bateyes is poor with very little vegetation because of company regulations, education is an added expense and families have no source of medical care. Haitian workers are in constant fear of being deported, and Dominican born Haitians are often not recognized as Dominican citizens because of the racism that exists on the island.

Our mission is to provide medical care, clothing, food and educational workshops to migrant workers and their families living in the bateyes of the Dominican Republic. We welcome donations of any size to support this work. Christina Choquette has been living and working in the Dominican Republic and providing these services since January 2009.

If you would like to help support the goals of Batey Hope, please donate here.

Donate by mail
Please make checks made payable to the "Marion Institute" with "Batey Hope" noted in the memo line and send to:

Batey Hope
c/o Marion Institute
202 Spring St.
Marion, MA  02738

Ph:  508.748.0816
Fax:  508.748.1976

Christina Choquette
Batey Hope Project Leader
christina.choquette@gmail.com