In 1995, the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus began a mission site in an area of Santo Domingo known as the Batey (pronounced bah-tay) Lecheria. The people living in the batey, most of whom are Haitian, lack the most basic of necessities such as dependable running water, electricity, and indoor plumbing.
You Are Needed: Become a Holy Child Volunteer!
At the mission site, the Sisters of the Holy Child founded a school and medical clinic. Every year, we serve 250 children through our school and more than 3,000 individuals through our clinic. Annually, four lay volunteers—known as Holy Child Volunteers—from the U.S. serve alongside the Sisters of the Holy Child by teaching in our school. Holy Child Volunteers need to have a college degree and must be proficient in Spanish. If you want to make a difference in the life of a child, this is where you need to be. Join us today!
What Are Bateys?
Bateys were created in the 1930s when sugar was a profitable industry in the Dominican Republic. Cane cutters were needed to harvest the sugar crop and rudimentary company towns sprang up to house seasonal workers who arrived from Haiti to work the sugar harvest. Over time, some workers remained and put down roots in the bateys. Because Haitian immigrants and their families have been denied citizenship and the sugar industry has dried up, residents of the batey look for work wherever they can find it. These bateys are now some of the poorest areas in the Dominican Republic, lacking infrastructure and educational and medical services.
