Ulrick Gaillard is recognized for 28 years of humanitarian work in the Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo.- The town hall of the municipal district of El Puerto, in San Pedro de Macorís, recognized doctor Ulrick Gaillard, founder and president of the North American organization Batey Relief Alliance (BRA), for his almost three decades of tireless humanitarian service in favor of the most vulnerable populations in the country. The distinction was awarded at the BRA offices in Santo Domingo, by the mayor of El Puerto, “Juan Pacheco” and was attended by the vice president of the board of directors of BRA Dominicana, Togarma Rodríguez and the executive vice president of this non-profit institution, María Virtudes Berroa. During the event, the long career of the philanthropist was highlighted, responsible for transforming the social reality of hundreds of thousands of families in the historically forgotten bateyes. For Trustee Pacheco, the awarding of the Key to the City constitutes “a deserved tribute to a leader who has shown that compassion, turned into action, can change entire destinies.” Gaillard, a lawyer by profession and a humanitarian by vocation, founded BRA in New York in 1997, with headquarters in Santo Domingo, amidst the deep crisis of poverty, hunger, and disease that was hitting the bateyes administered by the then State Sugar Council (CEA). Since that year, he led a tireless crusade to restore dignity, health, and opportunities to communities marked by structural abandonment. “Her legacy is an example of compassion with concrete results. Her holistic, multi-level, and collaborative approach has saved lives, restored hope, and demonstrated that humanity transcends borders, languages, and creeds,” expressed Vice President Rodríguez. One of Gaillard’s most emblematic achievements was the construction, in 2006, of the first modern health complex within a batey, the BRA Medical Center, located in Batey Cinco Casas, Monte Plata province. This facility, equipped with a laboratory, pharmacy, ambulance, a mobile medical unit, and 15 consulting rooms, broke a five-century cycle of health exclusion in the sugarcane areas. For over a decade, that complex offered primary and specialized care, including vital services for people affected by HIV/AIDS, and essential medications for tens of thousands of children and adults. In 2017, as part of a responsible institutional transition, BRA handed over the center to the Ministry of Public Health to expand its reach in the territory. In 2021, the organization marked a milestone by publishing a pioneering study on menstrual inequity in the country, revealing that 20% of girls missed between two and three days of classes each month due to a lack of sanitary pads. The report gave rise to a program for the production of reusable pads and promoted legislative initiatives. BRA has also been a pillar in the fight against malnutrition. In 28 years, it distributed more than 2,600 metric tons of nutritious food and millions of doses of micronutrients and antiparasitics, benefiting 1,235,850 people, equivalent to 11% of the Dominican population. Another relevant contribution by Gaillard has been the launch of the BRA Women’s Empowerment Initiative that she designed in 2018 to support rural female entrepreneurs in income-generating agricultural production, through microloans and training, with the aim of breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty. Access to potable water also became a strategic priority by complementing the organization’s comprehensive health system. Over nearly three decades, BRA distributed nearly 450 million liters of clean water and installed multiple sanitation systems that have protected half a million people from waterborne diseases. An essential part of Gaillard’s impact lies in the network of strategic alliances built, maintaining an apolitical approach focused on need, to achieve the organization’s objectives: agreements with the Dominican State—including the CEA and the Ministry of Public Health—and collaborations with the international community, such as the Clinton Foundation, Lions Clubs International Foundation, United Nations (UN), USAID, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Canada Fund, and multinational corporations such as Procter & Gamble, GILDAN, among others.

Thanks to that cooperation model, BRA has raised more than 130 million dollars and implemented programs that have benefited more than 4.5 million people, consolidating a humanitarian legacy of continental scale.

“The fundamental right to health, nutrition, education, and the opportunity to produce without social barriers is the essence of our mission. This recognition belongs to the communities that never stopped fighting,” Gaillard expressed upon receiving the distinction.

About Ulrick Gaillard

Born on November 15, 1961, Ulrick Gaillard holds a Juris Doctor from Roger Williams University School of Law, a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Baruch College, and executive leadership training from Harvard University. In addition to leading BRA, he is the organization’s principal representative to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), a collaborator with the Clinton Global Initiative, and an affiliated professor at the University of Minnesota. His career also includes experience as a legislative advisor to the New York State Assembly, he has demonstrated a unique ability to articulate lasting solutions to complex social problems, leaving an indelible mark on the humanitarian landscape of the Americas and the Caribbean. Gaillard is a recipient of the prestigious Paul Harris Humanitarian Award from Rotary International. For its part, BRA enjoys broad international and local recognition, including Special Consultative Status with the UN ECOSOC, a Mention from the New York State Assembly, and being listed by the USDA as one of the best NGOs in developing countries. At the national level, its impact in the Dominican Republic has been commemorated with the declaration of October 23 as “Batey Relief Alliance Day”, the naming of “Batey Relief Alliance Street” in its honor, and a Senate Mention.