A December 27, 2007 story in the New York Times highlights the plight of Haitian migrant workers in the Dominican Republic as part of the global trend of immigration to poor nations from poorer ones.“We are forced to come back here — not because we like it, but because we are poor,” he said. “When we cross the border, we are a little better off. We are able to buy shoes and maybe a chicken.”
Fundacion de Libertad is pleased to announce a screening of "The Price of Sugar" on Wednesday, November 28th, starting at 5:00 p.m. in Room 101 of the Fleming Building on the University of Vermont campus. The movie will be followed by a panel discussion on sugar cane plantations and HIV prevention in the Dominican Republic by a recently returned University of Vermont class from the DR. This new film follows a charismatic Spanish priest as he organizes some of the western hemisphere's poorest people, challenging powerful interests profiting from their work. When he arrives in the Dominican Republic, he's warned against entering the sugar plantations where most of his parishioners live. Breaking a centuries old taboo, he discovers shocking examples of modern-day slavery intrinsic to the global sugar trade.
The community of La Canela, a suburb of Santiago, graduated their first group of students this month from their Futbol para la Vida HIV/AIDS prevention education program. The program was built from a collaboration with the community of Batey Libertad that has grown from recent years of both men's and women's soccer games. Libertad FPV trainer Yanlico recruited this first class at La Canela, ran them through 6 weeks of Friday classes, and organized a graduation and community celebration in which the visiting University of Vermont class was able to participate along with special guest Emmanuel "Manno" Sanon.
On Sunday, November 18th, a University of Vermont class together with the Batey Libertad Coalition (BLC) held the 6th BLC Soccer Tournament at Batey Libertad. Special guest Emmanuel "Manno" Sanon -- World Cup Footballer and Haitian Athlete of the Century -- was in attendance to give the Batey Libertad men's team a pep talk that carried them through the finals, where they held on to a 1-0 lead against "Plantaciones del Norte". Many of the UVM students hadn't found their "Haitian stomachs" just yet, illing from some home cooking the day before, but three Vermonters did take the field. Father-son duo Lucas and Gary Hawley joined forces in the final, and UVM medical student Ryan Sexton helped Batey Libertad reach the finals with a penalty kick during a qualifying round shoot-out.
The Batey Libertad Coalition is a partnership between Haitians, Dominicans, and Americans to use the sport of soccer as a catalyst for social change at Batey Libertad and the surrounding communities. The BLC was founded by a group of University of Vermont students and soccer players from Batey Libertad whose shared love of the "beautiful game" has helped to organize community resources, inspire the next generation of community leaders, and break down racial prejudices between Dominicans and Haitians. Batey Libertad has both men's and women's soccer teams, as well as programs for young boys and girls. Today they are a soccer powerhouse in the Esperanza-Mao-Santiago r
egion, and have helped organize and outfit other teams in the surrounding area with equipment collected by US soccer clubs and school programs. BLC Vermont partners include Essex United Soccer Club, Capital Soccer Club, and Far Post Soccer Club, and during 2007 benefited from equipment drives at high schools and universities in New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Illinois.
Over the weekend of November 17 and 18, the community of Batey Libertad was treated to a visit from a Haitian national hero ... in fact ... the Haitian Athlete of the Century! Emmanuel "Manno" Sanon -- who lead Haiti to the 1974 World Cup -- shared his coaching and playing experiences with the soccer teams, attended a graduation of a "Futbol para la Vida" HIV/AIDS education program, and hosted a soccer tournament at Batey Libertad. Footballers and fans alike spent hours with Manno, discussing soccer, autographing t-shirts, or just reflecting on the future of Haiti and the powerful voice of the Haitian diaspora in the Dominican Republic.
Manno's name was forever preserved in soccer lore when he scored one of the most memorable goals in World Cup history against Italian keeper Dino Zoff. Scoring nearly half of the national team goals during his four years playing with Haiti, Manno went on to play professional soccer in Europe and the USA, has had an illustrious coaching career in the USA, and most recently coached the Haitian national team in the 1999-2000 season, including their first
CONCACAF Gold Cup appearance. Manno today lives in Orlando, Florida with his wife Susi, and has been busy running the Foundation Emmanuel Sanon (FONDESA), a 501(c) non-profit and charitable organization that provides activities for youth of North American, the Caribbean, and Europe. Manno has recently become the ambassador for Futbol para la Vida, our HIV/AIDS prevention education program with youth of the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
Together with a University of Vermont class, Manno hosted the 6th Soccer Tournament of the Batey Libertad Coalition. The tournament included Batey Libertad and three teams from neighboring Haitian communities. Fighting through the rain (at times torrential) the Batey Libertad men's team won the tournament, with Manno presiding over the team trophy presentation. Vermont players included the father son duo of Lucas and Gary Hawley, and UVM medical student Ryan Sexton, who scored a critical goal during a qualifying round penalty kick shoot-out.
On Thursday October 25th from 8pm-12am, Magnolia's Bistro of Burlington, Vermont opened its doors to the community for a concert and silent auction to benefit Futbol Para La Vida. Futbol para la Vida (soccer for life) is an HIV/AIDS prevention education and youth leadership program in the Dominican Republic. FPV developed from a 2005 pilot project between the community of Batey Libertad, the University of Vermont (UVM), and Grassroots Soccer. You can read more about the program at the September 2007 posting on this blog, or listen to a National Public Radio story at Only a Game.
The evening was a huge success, with money raised at the door and through a silent auction directly benefiting HIV/AIDS prevention education in the Dominican Republic. A huge thanks goes out to July and Shannon of Magnolia's for great food and hosting the event, Kelly Ravin and friends (of Lucy Vincent) for some fantastic music, Tristam Coffin of UVM for organizing and advertising, the November '07 UVM travel-study class for collecting items for the auction and getting out the word, many Vermont businesses for auction items -- including Smuggler's Notch, Magnolia's, University Mall, and Magic Hat Brewery -- and of course everyone who showed up (in spite of missing the Red Sox game).
On Sunday, October 14th, the University of Vermont (UVM) hosted a "Lose the Shoes" barefoot soccer tournament and fundraiser for "Futbol para la Vida", Libertad's HIV prevention education program in the Dominican Republic. Although temperatures we're in the low 40s, more than 100 UVM student's turned out to play. FPV is part of the international Grassroot Soccer network, and "Lose the Shoes" tournaments occur throughout a network of U.S. colleges and universities in support of Grassroot Soccer and affiliated programs through the College Kick AIDS Campaign.
This Fall's tournament was organized by the November '07 UVM travel-study course to Batey Libertad. Twenty-five teams competed in a 3 v. 3 format on the green of Redstone Campus, with prizes and raffle items donated by local Vermont businesses. For more information on this event, or to help with planning future UVM soccer fundraisers, please get in touch with tournament organizer Lena Forman at lena.forman@uvm.edu. Thanks Lena for an awesome event!
On Saturday, September 29th, University of Vermont students, faculty and friends marched in the annual AIDS Walk in Burlington, Vermont. Organized by Vermont CARES, our team walked to raise money for the "Futbol para la Vida" HIV/AIDS prevention education project of Fundacion de Libertad. Futbol para la Vida is a member of the international Grassroot Soccer network, and includes programs that are currently running in dozens of bateyes in the Dominican Republic, run by peer educators from the communities of Batey Libertad and Saman/Caraballo (see September blog below). With much support from the upcoming November travel-study class f
rom UVM to Batey Libertad, and with a huge thanks to Vermont CARES for letting us ride on their coattails, we raised over $2000 ... and still counting.
The University of Vermont (UVM) hosts annual travel study classes to Batey Libertad and other communities within the Fundacion de Libertad alliance. Trips are organized around service-learning projects that have emerged from community priorities and in cooperation with NGO partners such as Grassroot Soccer, the Dominican DREAM Project, and the Batey Relief Alliance. The first class in January of 2005 initiated the Grassroot Soccer HIV/AIDS curriculum and raised money to help build a local health clinic and school/community center at Batey Libertad. Subsequent classes completed construction of "el local", created a computer center for teaching basic computer literacy, provided laptops to high school and college students who are sponsored by Education Across Borders, supported activities of batey women's groups, organized community health clinics, built homes for families at Batey Libertad, and helped to expand the Futbol para la Vida HIV/AIDS prevention education program to many new communities.
The UVM program also supports other service-learning initiatives in the DR, including a June 2007 trip from Urbana High School of Illinois who built a family a home at Batey Libertad; a July 2007 HIV/AIDS program for street kids in Puerto Plata organized by Project Esperanza of Virginia Tech; and an upcoming March 2008 alternative spring break trip from Dartmouth College that will be building a community center in Saman (the north coast center for Futbol para la Vida HIV/AIDS education programs).
The 2007-08 academic year will include three new UVM service classes. During the November 2007 Thanksgiving break, Jon and Pat Erickson will lead a trip to Batey Libertad to support new HIV/AIDS programs, a community health clinic, the formalization of a language literacy and tutorial center, and the beginnings of a new community gardening project. Over the January 2008 winter break, John Hayden of Plant and Soil Sciences will lead a trip to establish community garden plots at Batey 
Libertad, leaving behind a student volunteer to coordinate a community farm and literacy program during the spring semester. Then over the March 2008 spring break, McKew Devitt of the Department of Romance Languages will bring a group of students to work on the literacy program, a new community library, and replace more "tin can" shanties with ventilated block constructed homes.
Healthy communities start with healthy people. At Batey Libertad, financial and social barriers to health care is a fact of life. However, in 2005-06 the community of Batey Libertad teamed up with students and faculty from the University of Vermont to construct a community health clinic. In the course of less than a year, what started as Dr. Pat helping out with "Mom medicine" on Papito's porch, expanded into a new building (attached to a new local school and community center) stocked with meds from MAP International and donations from Vermont practices, and with consults held every few months with U.S. doctors and medical students, Dominican physicians and nurses, and other community health volunteers.
To date in 2007, there have been four multi-day clinics, organized by community members with consults from both local and American docs. In June, doctors and medical students from the Stritch School of Medicine of Loyola University ran a health clinic during a 10-day medical mission coordinated through Creighton University’s Institute for Latin American Concern (ILAC). ILAC has also trained "Cooperadores de Salud" or health promoters at Batey Libertad who conduct "charlas" or chats with the community on preventive care, as well as identify candidates for surgery performed during medical missions at ILAC's Santiago facility. The Libertad clinic has also benefited from advice and a site visit from the Batey Relief Alliance, an NGO that helps develop health care and development programs within batey communities.
Volunteers at Batey Libertad, more often than not, also find themselves filling in as patient advocates for the poor and racially marginalized in the Dominican health care system. Community clinics serve to address the day-to-day maladies of batey living, but also to identify patients who need more critical care and help find them the attention they deserve in the health care system. Fundraisers at the University of Vermont and direct patient sponsors have supported dozens of critical care patients, including those affected by tuberculosis, HIV, hepatitis-C, and diabetes, as well as aiding malnourished children and elder residents of Batey Libertad.
The community recently completed the construction of a volunteer apartment above the health clinic in order to house doctors, students, educators, and other collaborators into the future. If you'd like to inquire about opportunities to volunteer in community health efforts at Batey Libertad, please e-mail Pat Erickson at patricia.erickson@uvm.edu.
Founded at Batey Libertad, Futbol para la Vida (soccer for life) is an HIV/AIDS prevention education and youth leadership program in the Dominican Republic (DR) using sport, game-based activities, and peer mentoring to engage youth in the creation and practice of healthy life choices. A member of the international Grassroot Soccer network, Futbol para la Vida (FPV) provid
es bilingual Spanish/Haitian Kreyol camps and courses; training of trainers workshops for community-based peer educators, local non-governmental organization (NGO) staff, and public school and health programs; and support for youth camps, soccer tournaments, and other outreach opportunities. Core programs target at-risk youth populations in Haitian migrant communities, where a lack of investment in health care and education has contributed to some of the highest rates of HIV infection in the Caribbean and
The DR and
FPV developed from a 2005 pilot project between the community of Batey Libertad, the 
V activities in the Valverde province (one of the DR’s prominent agricultural regions), and is home to program management, trainings, and special events at the FPV training center constructed in 2006. A second core program was developed in the
The activities-based curriculum engages youth, models healthy life choices, and provides a fun and safe environment for youth to obtain accurate information, learn prevention strategies, and discuss AIDS stigma, risky behaviors, and other sensitive topics with peers and role models. Each activity is designed as an ice-breaker that leads to discussion amongst peers. These core programs are run with groups of 15 children in age brackets of 10-14 year olds and 15 and over. A typical course is run over a series of 5 to 6 meetings totaling 15 hours, organized locally and coordinated initially by peer educators from neighboring communities. As new role models are identified and trained, programs are turned over to local peer educators. Each course is followed by a graduation planned by the children and including performances of dramas, demonstration of FPV activities, and presentation of certificates by parents and community leaders. Soccer games are often included as a vehicle to reach beyond the graduation audience, with FPV activity demonstrations held at halftime including athletes and fans alike, and with the opportunity to distribute information about HIV transmission, prevention strategies, testing and treatment options, and compassion for AIDS victims.
As the FPV program first developed in batey communities, the majority of current trainers can deliver bilingual programs in Spanish and Haitian Kreyol. This is critical to breaking the language barrier with recent immigrants, particularly among young girls who often work at home with their mothers and lack the opportunities to learn Spanish afforded to boys. Whenever possible, FPV classes are also designed with a mix of Dominican and Haitian children to address racial discrimination and build peer networks and solidarity amongst the poor. Follow-up activities to courses vary by location, but include soccer tournaments, youth groups, and “Olympiads” of knowledge and skill competitions between graduating FPV classes.
The more experienced trainers of these core programs also conduct 5-day intensive “training of trainers” workshops to expand the network of community peer educators and train staff and volunteers in the growing network of NGOs using the Spanish translation of the GRS curriculum. Trainings include lessons on basic HIV/AIDS education, facilitation and evaluation of the FPV curriculum, peer education philosophy, development of role models, and program design, implementation, and evaluation. Examples of local partner organizations with FPV programs and trained staff include the Dominican Republic Education and Mentoring (DREAM) Project and Proyecto ADAMES. The DREAM Project has incorporated FPV programs into their annual summer camp and teacher training center, including pre- and post-evaluation and graduations. Proyecto ADAMES has developed a health promotion program for teens and pre-teens based on FPV training and the GRS curriculum as an extension to their work on reducing mother and infant mortality. Other NGOs in the network that have hosted FPV demonstrations include Peace Corps, One Resp, Batey Relief Alliance, Punta Cana Foundation, and World Vision. FPV programs also benefit from ongoing collaboration on program design and evaluation with the DR’s Presidential AIDS Council (COPRESIDA). The core FPV programs at Batey Libertad and Saman/Caraballo also support special events, including follow-up training activities, research on HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes, and special camps, soccer tournaments, or curriculum demonstrations. For example, FPV trainers supported a summer soccer camp for street kids in Puerto Plata during July 2007, a camp organized though a service-learning project of Virginia Tech.
Faculty and student volunteers of the
The next steps for FPV in the DR include expansion of courses and addition of trainers in communities near the three core programs of Batey Libertad, Saman/Caraballo, and
We are a coalition of organizations working in the 
The legacy of bateyes today is one of extreme poverty, isolation, and lack of access to basic needs and human rights. Bateyes are physically isolated from Dominican society amidst the cane and rice fields of the DR; socially marginalized through a history of racism, military and police raids, and routine denial of rights of citizenship, health care, and education; and economically vulnerable to international commodity price swings, seasonal labor demand, and a general lack of land ownership and social services.
To build a new legacy of sustainable livelihoods and equality, Batey Libertad works in solidarity with a network of U.S. and Dominican universities, non-governmental organizations, and volunteers from around the world in the broad areas of health, education, and human rights. Projects include community health clinics and advocacy, education scholarships, language and computer literacy classes, documentation for citizenship and migrant workers, youth sport and leadership development, HIV/AIDS prevention education, and home construction and community infrastructure through service-learning trips and university classes.
Support for these projects is generated through grassroots fundraisers, direct sponsorship of students and families affected by chronic illness, equipment and medicine donations from businesses and soccer clubs, and community visits and home-stays by students and other volunteers.
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