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 It’s hard to understand the kids in the bateys. They have very little idea of life outside the bateys. They get into the city from time to time, usually to go to church, so they see things like television but with no electricity where they live their lives are not affected like our kids are. The one piece of today’s technology they are aware of is the cell phone. Without the hard infrastructure of electr ic or communications poles bringing the electronic world to their homes the cell phone is a marvel. They don’t own them but they probably have used them.
The things our kids ‘can’t live without’ are no where to be found. But the kids are happy, industrious, well developed socially, and quite intelligent. They fashion their own toys from just about any piece of junk they can find. The broken rim  of a bicycle tire becomes a hoop. A stick becomes a bat and a rock the ball. I once saw a pint sized milk container turned into a toy car by adding four bottle caps held in place by small nails.
Beyond the material things they don’t have, most of them suffer from malnutrition.  There simply is not enough protein to go around and the men working the cane fields get fed first. Through our adopt a batey program, or the malnutrition program you can help relieve this situation.
One of the things these kids do have is hope. Some of them can go to school and learn enough to get a job in the city. School is available to all that can afford the uniform and shoes. The church sponsors a scholarship program for some but many don’t have the chance.
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