Pictures of Batey Caimito and my grocery store

These are typical roads to a batey. In this case we were heading to Caimito, one of the poorest bateys I have visited.


Caimito, to my surprise, has been the best bank meeting I have attended thus far. They gathered shortly after we arrived, and the meeting started on time. All 30 members were accounted for; if someone was missing they had a written excuse with a representative there. Everyone was respectful when someone was talking, and when it came time to collect the money every group had theirs to the dime (no one even needed change!). But they also knew how to have a good time; once the meeting adjourned we had a birthday celebration. We had cake and soft drinks and enjoyed each other's company.



This is the home/business of Maria Vital in Caimito. Maria is in her mid-fifties and started her grocery store two years and seven months ago. Maria is Haitian, and came to the DR over 30 years ago to accompany her husband who migrated to work as a sugar plantain worker. Life hasn’t been very easy for Maria, but she states that now that her business has started rolling, her life has totally changed. She tells me that before she had her business she would sit, look at the ground and be sad. “I had nothing to do. I had my hands but couldn’t use them; it’s a lonely and sad feeling.” Now Maria is quite the hard worker, despite her age. In addition to the routine job of keeping the colmado stocked up and running, she sells bread and coconut candy that she herself makes. She says there are days where she starts work at ten in the morning and doesn’t end until midnight, yet she is proud to be able to state, “I work hard and fend for myself." But what is more surprising is that even though Maria is busy, she never fails to attend the literacy course that Esperanza is offering. This is surprising because Maria’s glasses broke and she has trouble seeing, and yet she is still determined to learn how to read and write.





The little boy I am holding is from Caimito; he just turned 2 months old. He really liked me! He was fussy around other people, but when he was with me he kept on laughing. (I think he had a little crush, haha)

As you can see from the picture, apperantly I have my own Colmado (grocery store) =]


Thanks for following this blog and for your much appreciated prayers. I hope you guys have a great Fourth of July weekend; be safe and have a blast.