21 October, 2006
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic. A catchy bachata tittled “Amor de Batey,” also the theme song of a mini-telenovela depicting the story of a batey couple, is part of PSI’s (Population Services International) latest collaborative project to reduce STDs and HIV/AIDS in the bateyes of the Dominican Republic. To carry out this project, PSI is teaming up with several organizations with an established presence in batey communities all over the country. BRA Dominicana is one of them, currently working in the region of Monte Plata. Responding to the alarming rate of HIV infection among the batey population (5-13% as compared to the national average of only 1%), PSI conducted a thorough investigation of condom use among adults between 20 and 49 years. The findings of this research became pillars of this multidisciplinary initiative which aims to fight HIV/AIDS by encouraging a decrease in the number of sexual partners while also fomenting the use of condoms correctly and consistently. During the next two years BRA will be conducting a plethora of educational activities such as concerts and mural painting as well as promoting condom sales through contests and visits to local stores in the bateyes. “It is unlikely that ‘Amor de Batey’ will replace the voices of famous bachateros such as Frank Reyes or Zacarias Ferreira in the radio or the dance floor,” said Maria Virtudes Berroa , BRA Dominicana’s Executive Director. But Berroa added that the urgent message behind this song and PSI’s project with BRA will surely resonate among bateyanos and hopefully bring not only awareness of the HIV/AIDS problematic but real seeds of change.
