Bitter Sugar

We have long supported the work of William Decena, a former cane cutter of Haitian descent, in Batey 9. G.O. has helped him construct a church and establish a nutrition center there for the children suffering the most from malnutrition. We have recently broken ground on a new church in his community and just completed a dormitory there for facilitating short-term teams so that they may serve in the surrounding Bateys. This community consists of a people group of Haitian descent brought over from Haiti to be economically exploited in the sugar fields of the Dominican Republic. Poverty is difficult enough when it is circumstantial. In the Dominican sugar industry poverty among the peoples of the Bateys is the result of the bitter threads of nationalism, classism, and racism having been woven into a bitter cord of injustice. James 5 makes it clear that such injustice will not go on forever.

The Price of Sugar is a documentary chronicling the suffering and economic injustice placed on one particular Batey owned and run by a Dominican family. A Spanish Catholic Priest who has invested his life among these people has helped to organize the making of this film in an effort to bring to light the suffering of these people without a voice. The Bateys G.O. Ministries works in do not suffer to the degree that this Batey does but unfortunately there are many parallels and commonalities.

Please make an effort to see this film.

If you live in Louisville, Ky it is coming to Village 8 from January 18th to the 24th.

Here is the trailer:



Here is the link to the films website:
http://www.thepriceofsugar.com/