Dominican Republic / Rachel Stockhausen

This May, we will be traveling to the Bateyes—small communities located in the heart of the sugarcane plantations in Dominican Republic.  We are traveling as a health care team with Oakpoint church.  We will be providing dental care, medical care and reading glasses.   The people that work in the sugarcane plantations work long hard hours under the sun for only 2$ a week.  This is not enough money to live.   They are worked until their bodies give out from the abuse.  These people are mainly Haitians that have escaped a worse life in Haiti and were sold a lie.  They have no ability to save or escape their life on the plantation once they arrive.  This is truly modern day slavery.  We are going to be performing much needed life saving dentistry for them .  They have limited access to medical care and no health coverage.  They are also lacking access to basic resources such as electricity, education, and clean water.  

We are only given a room to perform our dental care.  They do not have an actual dental clinic.  So we need to bring the entire dental clinic including a compressor, suction, tools, and sterilization equipment.  This is costly to rent and transport.   I have done a mission trip previously in Jerusalem but it was equipped similar to a western dental clinic.  This will be much more rudimentary and rural.   

If you would rather write a check, please make it out to “Oakpointe Church” and put my fundraising number- DR-613 in the memo line, do. not put my name on the check.  You can send the check directly to Oak Pointe Church (50200 W. 10 Mile Road Novi, MI 48374) Attn Finance Department/ Dominican Republic or give it to me and I will turn it in.  

Your generosity will help with the cost of the trip,  renting the equipment, and providing dental care and it will support ongoing initiatives focused on community development.

Here are some videos that demonstrate their need: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAMaBQB_78s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiAODmwiDRY