your story has power

In the fall of 2018, WorldChanging partnered with the Batey Rehab Projects in a series of actions that included investigating, prosecuting and funding specific cases against perpetrators who pose an ongoing threat to the communities we serve.

We were not prepared for the overwhelming criminal response to our efforts. In an effort to silence victims, extreme acts of violence have been acted out and further threatened upon our community. This process has endangered the shelter, catalyzing an urgent need to fortify security at Casa Azul and construct an expanded shelter on our existing property. 

Casa Azul is the flagship shelter and headquarters of the Batey Rehab Project (BRP): the only organization in the Dominican Republic that provides care to women and families across the entire spectrum of humanitarian response and post-traumatic human development. Like most organizations that respond to human trafficking, BRP provides reconnaissance, intervention, rescue, advocacy and prosecution supports. But unlike any other organization we've found, BRP provides the umbrella of supports, resources and protection necessary to restore whole families (2 generations at a time) to thriving, while breaking the intergenerational cycles of extreme poverty and violence. This means holding babies, building homes, providing full employment + benefits, trauma-informed care, reproductive and mental health services, education, spiritual and emotional supports to each woman in their program.  All of this is provided in-house, resulting in healing, empowerment and permanent, personal transformation.

Phase 1 of this campaign enables BRP to carry its current prosecution to conviction (including legal fees, professional services, legal filings and counsel), provides secure transport and safety personnel for shelter staff and residents to ambulate as necessary, and provides the necessary assessment of Casa Azul for security upgrades.

Phase 2 of this campaign enables BRP to build and fortify compound walls, add video and audio surveillance capability, fund a backup generator system, activate added staff for protection, and construct temporary shelter additions to reach current populations in need.

Phase 3 of this campaign enables BRP to expand its shelter, adding a classroom, clinic, office and increased  residential capacity by 600%. Especially for women requiring prosecution, this phase enables BRP to provide its wholistic services to a more broad population.