2015 DR Clean Water and Sanitation Project - Day 3 - 2/3/15

Today we began the next step of the two latrines - Painting!  Very exciting - we painted and watched the paint dry then painted the second coat... 

In addition to painting the excitement of the day was getting to know the people of the bateys.   On the bus ride to the Batey we met Jonathan.  Jonathan works at the hospital in the social services department and works with the health promoters and construction crews on the bateys.  What was most impressive about Jonathan was he was able to make it off of the bateys.  His father was fortunate enough to get a job in security at a private school and he and his brother were able to be educated at the school.  When they had enough money they were able to leave the Batey and move to the city.  Once in the city Jonathan and his brother were able to go to college and become educated, Jonathan in hotel management and his brother in music education. His mother is also getting an education now and within 6 months have a high school diploma at age 48.  She is excited beyond belief!!! Jonathan's story was made possible because his father's friend that found him the job, believed in him and had the faith that Jonathan's family had an opportunity for a better life and they took it! This story was so impressive because so many people do not make it off the bateys. There are generations living on the Batey without the opportunity to ever see another life outside the Batey.

A little more explanation about the people on the Batey.  The Batey land is privately owned and Centro Romana Sugar Refinery rents the land from the owners.  Then the refinery owners "gives" the sugar cane worker land and pays them between $7 and $13/ day for their work in the fields cutting sugar cane.  Each person that lives on the Batey needs to be connected with a man that is a sugar cane cutter.  No woman is allowed to live on the Batey without a man.  You can only imagine what happens to girls that grow up on the bateys... If they don't have family in the city to live with once they turn 18 they have to find a man on their Batey or another Batey to marry and start having children. If the men turn 18 they have to work in the sugar cane or have someone trusting in the community to assist them in getting off the Batey and find a better life like Jonathan....