Key of Hope :: Building a School
In the Milagrosa Batey of the Dominican Republic
Right now, thousands of Haitian children are destined to abject poverty in the country of the Dominican Republic. This is not just because they live in the bateyes (villages) of the sugarcane companies, but their only access to education ends at 5th grade. Even those with access to a small number of high schools will have to walk up to 5 miles today to and from school. Many young ladies have been attacked and raped on these dangerous journeys down deserted clay roads through these sugarcane fields. But we can do something to change this.
Many families immigrated to the DR in hopes of providing a better life for their children only to find the access to education in many cases is lesser in the DR than it is in Haiti. This perpetuates a cycle of poverty as these children will be stuck in the bateys and their only option to “cut the cane” because they have no other opportunities.
With a high school education and above these children have the hope of escaping the bateys and forming a better life for the next generation.
1,000’s of Haitian children are walking 5+ miles to school and back every day.
Right now, thousands of Haitian children are destined to abject poverty in the country of the Dominican Republic. This is not just because they live in the bateyes (villages) of the sugarcane companies, but their only access to education ends at 5th grade. Even those with access to a small number of high schools will have to walk up to 5 miles today to and from school. Many young ladies have been attacked and raped on these dangerous journeys down deserted clay roads through these sugarcane fields. But we can do something to change this.
Many families immigrated to the DR in hopes of providing a better life for their children only to find the access to education in many cases is lesser in the DR than it is in Haiti. This perpetuates a cycle of poverty as these children will be stuck in the bateys and their only option to “cut the cane” because they have no other opportunities.
With a high school education and above these children have the hope of escaping the bateys and forming a better life for the next generation.