18 July, 2014
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, July 17th, 2014. At a ceremony held at the Hilton Hotel, the UPS Foundation presented to the Batey Relief Alliance (BRA) a $45,000-grant to conduct blindness prevention activities in the Dominican Republic. According to the foundation, BRA was the only organization to be recognized in the Dominican Republic and one of a few in the Latin America region. On hand to present the award to BRA’s CEO, Ulrick Gaillard were executives from UPS in Santo Domingo and the Americas Division.
According to Mr. Gaillard, BRA will use the new funds for a vision and cataract treatment center, set to open next year alongside other surgical services that will benefit the thousands of residents living in impoverished and vulnerable sugarcane plantations rural “batey” communities, Monte Plata province. Gaillard added that blindness among the poor in the bateyes is a serious problem and many, due to extreme poverty, cannot afford a pair of eyeglasses, which, in turn, hinder their chance to learn to read and write or progress in life.
BRA hopes to perform procedures on more than 700 residents in the coming year. The Bateys in Monte Plata are home to over 20,000 residents with very limited access to basic medical and eye care. BRA’s medical clinic, located in batey Cinco Casas, Municipal Don Juan in Monte Plata, provides comprehensive health and specialty services, free medications, HIV/AIDS treatment and nutrition assistance at an affordable cost to all residents.
