COVID-19: NGO will invest 50 million pesos in assistance to some 40 thousand families in DR

The Batey Relief Alliance (BRA) reported today that as a result of the threat posed by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), it will invest more than 50 million pesos, through its Disaster Relief program, to assist with dehydrated food, drinking water, medical care, and preventive education to more than 40 thousand low-income families affected by the health crisis in 18 provinces of the Dominican Republic.

The president of that North American non-governmental organization, Ulrick Gaillard, explained that he will work closely with local governments and more than 40 partner organizations to provide this humanitarian aid in Greater Santo Domingo, Monte Plata, La Altagracia, Puerto Plata, Valverde, Dajabón, Azua, Barahona, Pedernales, La Romana, Hato Mayor, Samaná, Monte Cristi, Elías Pina, and Santiago.

Gaillard indicated that his organization will gradually incorporate new actions as the situation requires, and that the organization’s microcredits will continue to be carried out under the BRA “Women’s Empowerment Initiative.”

Likewise, Gaillard stated that between April to December of this year, BRA will coordinate with its counterpart BRA Dominicana the distribution to more than 20 thousand families of 7.5 million rations of dehydrated food products, donated by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

He noted that the delivery of 4.2 million Procter and Gamble (P&G) water purifiers to 12,790 families is also contemplated, as well as the provision of antiretroviral therapy, medical care and preventive health education to 600 people at risk of health suffering from HIV and are now exposed to COVID-19.

“We will intensify the preventive health education strategy, already implemented under P & G’s Clean Water for Children program so that there is a better use of this liquid, sanitation, and hygiene, with a greater focus on ‘handwashing’ among 40 thousand beneficiaries and more than 300 community health promoters that will carry it out through the sending of text messages by cell phones and the WhatsApp application in the Dominican Republic, Peru, and Haiti,” he said.

Regarding the BRA campaign “#coronaviruscrossline” by social networks, he expressed that he seeks to motivate the public to “stay home” in an effort to stop the rapid spread of the Coronavirus and that it will continue until the world experts in public health advise you that it’s safe to resume public contact.

The founder of BRA noted that in addition to the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Peru will benefit from these humanitarian projects.

Lastly, he thanked his partners for their generous support, especially USAID, Procter and Gamble, FHI360, the Dominican State and the Clinton-CGI Action Network Foundation.

About the Batey Relief Alliance (BRA)

Non-profit, non-political and humanitarian organization; Founded in New York, USA in 1997, for 23 years it has helped improve the lives of more than 2.5 million people in 4 countries, its mission being to contribute to the solution of the socioeconomic and health needs of children and their families severely affected by extreme poverty, disease, and hunger in the Caribbean region and the Americas, such as in the United States, Peru, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.

BRA Dominicana is the regional arm of the Batey Relief Alliance, a non-profit humanitarian organization, founded in 2000, incorporated under Decree 137-03, of February 7, 2003, with the mission of helping to create a productive environment and Self-sufficient for the most vulnerable populations in the country, who live in the bateys, marginalized neighborhoods, rural areas, and border areas.

As part of its programmatic change, in 2017, BRA delivered to the Dominican State, through the Regional Metropolitan Health Service (SRSM), a modern medical center that BRA built in Monte Plata province in 2006. It was the first in a batey since the start of sugar production in the country in 1517, together with the Holistic Model of Comprehensive Health Care BRA, to continue offering quality services to highly vulnerable families living in the poorest communities, and in 2018, launched the “Women’s Empowerment Initiative” for community development.

BRA is a member of the Clinton Foundation Global Initiative (CGI), has Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), is associated with the NGO section of the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) and a public voluntary organization of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Its radius of action in the country is mainly in the province of Monte Plata and caters to all people regardless of race, color, sex, religion, nationality or political affiliation.