NY Friends Of Haiti 2010 recently orchestrated a family day event in the Batey of the Dominican Republic, bringing together workers, Haitian students, members of Friends of Haiti 2010, and the organization Save Haiti for constructive dialogue and the sharing of personal experiences.
Haitian students residing in the Dominican Republic volunteered to ensure the success of this event. Immigration officers were present to address questions regarding safety and legal compliance for residents. Additionally, a professional medical staff provided free consultations, supported by head nurses and doctors, to assist the financially underprivileged community. Despite facing repression and violence, Haitians in the Dominican Republic demonstrated resilience as they toiled in the sugar cane fields.
The primary aim of the event was to cultivate synergy among various sectors of the Haitian diaspora in the Dominican Republic and North America, fostering harmonious cooperation to advance common interests.
In the Batey’s, Haitian sugar cane workers inhabited settlements surrounding sugar mills. Their days were spent laboring in the fields, wielding machetes to cut approximately one ton of sugar cane daily. Despite their arduous efforts, they received minimal compensation of only five dollars for a full day’s work.
Batey
