My Emotional Roller Coaster – The Connections between Family, The Bateys, and Poverty

When entering the areas that are classified as being the most deprived and destitute, one wonders if they are ready to embrace the situation at hand. Never have I seen conditions like these, let alone experience poverty to this extreme, and yet I feel as though I’ve encountered a deeply, hidden treasure. Buried in these rural towns is the sense of gratitude for life, the love for one another and belief in God. While struggling to pull myself together in some of these drastic moments, it is at those very seconds I realize how strong I am.

Just a couple of days ago, I spent the weekend with my family in a village called Guachupita. This community, along with the bateys, which I will explain later on, is one of the most neglected by the government. To bring it into perspective, one can compare this community to the 9th Ward in New Orleans. After Katrina, the 9th Ward was destroyed, but they had FEMA amongst other forms of support. Guachupita doesn’t have any support. These people are living in a society where they govern themselves. With all this in mind, I wondered how these people are able to live and raise families in these conditions. And to my surprise, the community was filled with the happiest people I’ve seen throughout all of my travels so far in the Dominican Republic. With the little to nothing that these people had, they welcomed me into their homes, singing and praising God’s name.

Here is a memory that I have of entering my aunt’s house in the village of Guachupita.



The sound of Kompa fills the little village as a family gathers nearby to celebrate a birthday. The music brings alive the memories of my childhood. My aunt smiles, unable to hide her happiness. For the first time since my birth, twenty one years ago, she is seeing her niece. She laughs as I say “Mwen reve lakey mwen Matante”. She displays her excitement by laughing and introducing my little cousins to me for the first time. We smile at each other anxious to make up for the lost time… I have this joy that I cannot explain. I’m too happy to cry. I’m surrounded by poverty however I see nothing but beauty and love. I see joy and life. As I play the Song of Strength by Fred Hammond, I wonder if I will make it through this, if God will continue to help me see past the ugliness of the government and continue to endure this surreal reality.

As the day ends, the last memory I have is of little Selena, a little girl I met in the village. I comforted her to sleep when her father disappeared for a couple of hours into the night not realizing that little Selena was too tired to stay up past her bed time. I held her close until she felt she could trust me enough to close her tired eyes. As she fell asleep in my arms, I said a prayer asking God to keep her safe. This was just one day that I was able to be a part of her life. What about the other days?

In other instances, I felt crying would be the only way to escape the inequalities that were enclosed around me. Recently, I visited Batey Palmarejo with MUDHA in efforts to give support to the teachers at the local public school. Bateys are the poorest of poor areas that inhabit the Haitian and Dominican of Haitian descent population. These neighborhoods lack what we would call necessities to living; clean water, electricity, proper nutrition, safety, etc. The school, Escuela Inicial y Basica Anaisa, has three committed teachers whom are accountable for 241 students. Juliana, Nancy, and Bevienieda have taken on the responsibility of educating the children but it’s more than just teaching in a classroom. They spend time with the student during and after hours to help those who have difficulty learning when class is in session. Ranging from kindergarten to fourth grade, these teachers support their students with all they have.



With all this, the school is still struggling to advance due to the fact that they are not receiving aid from the most important outside sources. There’s a lack support from the government, as well as the participation of the parents. In the Dominican Republic, the government refuses to take part in anything that has to do with Haitians and Dominicans of Haitian descent. Nonetheless, the Dominican flag flies high. In the meeting with the teachers, we discussed how they can move forward stipulating the parent’s involvement in the children’s lives in and outside their learning community. Once the kids walk through the gates, the parents take advantage of the teachers by not involving themselves in the learning environment. While the parents see the importance of educating their children, they are missing the key factor of their child’s education. They need to be just as involved in their child’s lives as the teachers.

It was Martin Luther King Jr. who said it best when he gave his I Have a Dream speech. “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” His dream continues to live on today. It’s time to start seeing each other as equals and not enemies. There is no language barrier when it comes to understand the issues of struggle and inequality. Seeing the injustices is one thing, but to ignore it is something I cannot afford to do. While this is one of many countries that struggle with justice for all, this was the place that opened up my eyes, and clarified my purpose.

While on this emotional roller coaster, I have experienced many twists and turns but I’m not ready to get off the ride. I’ve gone from feeling frustrated with the government and its deficiency in aiding the Haitian and Dominican with Haitian descent population to optimistic as I walk through the poor areas wanting to bring change. It’s the innocence in the kids that give me the strength to continue fighting for them. It’s the memory of my fellow participants of the Dominican Republic Service trip that keep spirited and hopeful. It’s the work that I started a year ago that has brought me back here today. It’s the thought of my family here and in the US that helps me keep the faith. All of these ups and downs that I’ve gone through so far have given me a wealth that many are in search of but cannot find. With them I can continue to build my identity and believe that change will come.

To end this blog, I leave you with the thoughts of Michael Jackson. He was a humanitarian who used his love for music to move the world.

“I’m starting with the man in the mirror. I’m asking him to change his ways. No message could have been any clearer. If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change."


Man in the Mirror - Michael Jackson