14 June, 2012
PIANTINI, Santo Domingo. – On June 8, 2012, the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) signed a cooperation agreement with the Batey Relief Alliance (BRA Dominicana) for the development of several humanitarian projects in the Dominican Republic’s province of Monte Plata with the generous contribution of $120,000 from the European Union.
Mr. Gonzalo Vargas Llosa, head of UNHCR mission in the Dominican Republic and Mr. Ulrick Gaillard, founder/CEO of the BRA signed the agreement establishing the areas the donated funds would cover for the remainder of 2012.
The agreement is intended to benefit the inhabitants of several Bateyes including Cinco Casas, Triple Ozama, Antoncí of Yamasá and some of the projects BRA implemented during the course of 15 years in these rural sugarcane communities plagued by economic isolation, malnutrition, lack of education, high levels of HIV / AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Vargas Llosa praised the work of the BRA as “efficient” after he visited in previous weeks the healthcare and agricultural cooperative installations of the organization inside the bateyes and expressed the possibility of continuing their partnership into 2013. Gaillard added, “This new partnership represents another opportunity to improve living conditions of the Bateyes in Monte Plata.”
