United States and European Union Ambassadors Visit Barrio and Batey

3 June 2002

United States and European Union Ambassadors Visit Barrio and Batey

SANTO DOMINGO – The Ambassadors of the United States, Hans H. Hertell, and the European Union, Miguel Amado, accompanied by the Director of the Presidential Plan Against Poverty, Dr. Manuel Vargas Payano, today, visited the barrio of El Café in the capital city, and the Batey Esperanza, in San Pedro de Macorís.

The reason for both visit was to see first-hand the situation in which the dwellers of these two poor neighborhoods live, to review the actions which are being performed with foreign aid in order to alleviate the situation of the inhabitants, and to propose measures which, in the short and long term, will contribute to the improvement of the quality of life of their citizens.

The European Union, through its cooperation program within the framework of Cotonu (previously known as the Lome Office, and the United States, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), have a long history of cooperation in the poor barrios and bateys in many areas around the country. The Dominican government, through the Presidential Plan Against Poverty, considers these neighborhood priority areas in their struggle against poverty.

The European Union in April of this year inaugurated a program called Environmental Sanitation of the Marginalized Barrios (SABAMAR) through which they seek to improve the conditions of sanitation and hygiene, as well as the social and environmental surroundings in the marginalized barrios. The program, at a cost of $21.8 million Euros, with a government counterpart of RD$37 million, is currently being carried out in 16 marginalized barrios, including El Café. It is hoped that this initiative will reach approximately half a million inhabitants. SABAMAR will provide sanitation education, labor training, strenghtening of basic services, development of infrastructure, waste collection, and the development of micro-businesses.

The European Union also runs two small programs in the border zone valued at 10 million Euros. These two programs consist of projects of infrastructure and social organization in poor communities, many of which are bateys.

All of this is part of a broader cooperation program, whose main objectives are the reduction of poverty and the promotion of democracy. This program includes support for education, agriculture, mining, infrastructure, the private sector, and the State reform.

The United States government, through the USAID and the Dominican Institute for Integral Development (IDDI), was involved in the El Café Barrio as part of the Program of Reconstruction and Recovery of Areas Affected by Hurricane Georges. In all, some 35 houses were built. This effort formed part of the United States post-hurricane aid, which came to more than US$70 million.

In La Esperanza Batey, and also through the USAID´s program for the victims of Hurricane Georges, the United States government carried out work-food and health programs for children, and built water and sanitation systems. It also helped to organize consortium of NGO´s to aid in the future development of the batey.

The World Initiative of Food for Education, a joint operation of the United States Department of Agriculture and the USAID, implemented through the Social Service of Dominican Churches and Catholic Relief Services, will continue the work of the United States government in La Esperanza Batey, providing programs which include the promotion of school gardens, a program of fruit for school breakfasts, links between organizations of parents and community organizations, education in hygiene and health, and a program of health promoters in schools.

This is part of a national program of US$12 million with projects in all corners of the Republic.