Life in the Bateyes

Depart the United States for Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Your Rustic Pathways staff will greet you upon arrival and take you to the nearby hotel for the night to get some sleep before the real adventure begins.

After breakfast at the hotel, head to your new home just outside of San Pedro de Macorís. Get familiarized with your surroundings and the history of the bateyes. These communities are home to sugarcane workers and their families, who have some of the lowest standards of living in the region. Sugar is one of the Dominican Republic’s main exports, and the country depends on its production to keep its economy healthy. Many of the field workers come from neighboring Haiti, and conditions are typically poor. Workers may be in the fields for up to 14 hours daily in the tropical heat. Some migrate for work; others stay in the Dominican Republic year-round or were even born here. Many lack citizenship and therefore quality education for their children. We have been working for years directly with a few small communities who open their arms to Rustic Pathways students like you to come work and help out where you can.

Wake up to your first full day in the bateyes – the area itself is completely surrounded by sugar cane fields, and home to the communities you will be working with. Receive a formal introduction to the project and people you will be serving. After a delicious Dominican lunch head over to start your service projects in one of the batey communities. Service initiatives vary based on local needs, so you may help with construction or agricultural projects, or designing activities for local children. Again all projects are designed around the immediate needs of the community and may vary week to week. Students will be contributing to the Monte Coca Batey Project, helping to build homes for those in Batey Monte Coca.

The next two days will be spent continuing work on service projects in the bateyes. You will work and live with your fellow travelers at The Base, which is also home to a local NGO that serves the surrounding bateyes. After service, enjoy a game of pick-up baseball with the local kids before returning to The Base for dinner. On Saturday, visit a sugar cane field and learn how the cane is planted and cut, and taste some raw sugar cane! The evenings will be spent relaxing, planning service activities, and discussing the day’s work. You’ll be learning to connect global issues of migrations and citizenship to the local experiences you are witnessing on the ground in the Dominican Republic. Hear from a guest speaker from the ASCALA organization in the evening as you learn more about the work being done in the bateyes.

After three days of invigorating service work, look forward to unwinding with a well-deserved day of fun! Go to the beach to spend the morning swimming in the serene Caribbean waters and soaking in the sun. Explore the beach town of Bayahibe, and grab lunch at a favorite local spot. Enjoy the afternoon snorkeling the coral reefs of the coast of Bayahibe. Have a relaxing dinner near the water before heading back to the base after your fun-filled day.

Monday and Tuesday are Summer Camp! Run an educational summer camp for local children from some of the bateyes we work in. Get them out and running around, playing educational games and having fun with your group and other kids in the community. In the evenings, plan your camp activities and discuss the day’s work. Play sports, including baseball, which has a huge presence in the bateyes and across San Pedro de Macoris. Take a trip to town for ice cream and spend the evenings relaxing in the cool night breeze by the Base.

After two long days of camp, unwind with another day of fun at the beach! Spend your morning soaking in the sun and have lunch at the beach. In the evening, head back to the base and prepare for service the next day.

Thursday and Friday are service-filled days. Start to see all the progress you’ve made and complete the projects you started last week, spending more time with families you are serving and getting a better understanding of the infrastructure and Haitian-Dominican nature of these communities. Unwind after service by playing a game of baseball with kids. Spend the evenings having more in-depth group discussions, watching a movie and enjoying the beautiful Dominican sunsets..

This morning, put the finishing touches on your service project and get ready to say goodbye to the communities you’ve called home for the last 11 days. Say your final farewells to your new friends and community and start packing for your last beach trip of the program.

Say farewell to the bateyes on Sunday morning before you head out to the beach town of Samana bright and early for some time of reflection on the experiences you had in the communities. Relax on the beach, swim through the blue water, and explore some of the most beautiful views in the area. Experience the contrast between the Dominican Republic’s stunning attractions and the lesser-seen bateyes where you have been working for the past two weeks.

Head back to the capital for a tour of the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is home to the first university, cathedral and hospital in the Americas. Explore the walled city and learn about the deep history of the first European settlement in the Americas. After touring the Colonial Zone and doing some souvenir shopping, head over to a special dinner and dance show at a typical Dominican restaurant.

If you are heading home, you must say your last goodbyes to your new friends and head off to the airport bright and early in the morning. If you are heading off to another Rustic Pathways program in Latin America, get ready for more adventure!